Why Do Some Clouds Make Heavy Rain? — Passage and Quiz
Why Do Some Clouds Make Heavy Rain?
Look up at the clouds during a rainstorm. You'll notice not all clouds look the same. Different types of clouds are made up of different water droplets. This impacts how much rain will fall from them.
Fluffy Clouds
Light, fluffy clouds like cumulous and stratus clouds have tiny water droplets spread out. These make a light drizzle when it rains. When droplets are spread out, they don't bump together as much to form heavy drops that would fall quickly.
Big, Thick Clouds
On the other hand, huge rain clouds like cumulonimbus clouds are dense and have larger water drops that come together. Gravity causes these big drops to fall fast and heavy, resulting in pouring rain or even hail. More water comes down when thicker clouds with giant droplets cover the whole sky!
So the next time you feel a light sprinkle or get caught in heavy downpour, look carefully at the clouds overhead. Fluffy or thick? Small drops or large? Then try to guess if it will be light rain lasting a while or heavy rainfall for a short burst! Paying attention to clouds can help you predict how wet you'll get before the rain even starts.
Quiz
1. 1) What types of clouds are made of tiny, spread out water drops?
2. 2) Why does light drizzle form from some clouds?
3. 3) Big, thick clouds like cumulonimbus produce what kind of rain?
4. 4) Looking at clouds can help predict:
Common core standards covered
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