One of first
things most people do to
determine the weather outside...
is look up at sky at the clouds.
But... do you know how to read
the sky? Determine what the
clouds indicate?
One of first things most people
do to determine the weather
outside...
is look up at sky at the clouds.
But... do you know how to read
the sky? Determine what the
clouds indicate? |
 |
In this presentation... we
will show the basics about clouds and
what they may indicate in the near future
for your city and neighborhood.
First of
all...
...Clouds
need to 2 primary ingredients to form:
| |
|
|
- Rising Air
- Moisture
|
|
 |
|
These ingredients are
usually required only at the altitude at
which the clouds are developing at.
For
an example... a cloud forming at
15,000 feet above ground level... these
ingredients are only required at that
level.
Clouds
heights and formations will vary due to
atmospheric conditions such as
temperature, dewpoint and the local
topography.
In other
instances... clouds may also form because
of other lifting mechanisms...
- Orographic Lifting...
Occurs when an
elevated land form (such as a
mountain) obstructs the movement
of air...then is forced aloft.
In Southern California
this occurs when moist off the
Pacific bumps up against the
mountains and forces it to rise
higher into the atmosphere. This
often occurs with storm systems
that pass through the region and
taps into moisture from the
tropical Pacific.
- Frontal Wedging...
This occurs when
air is forced to rise on the
account of a moving frontal
system.
In Southern California
this is not common occurrence.
This is more common in the
eastern U.S along the east slope
of Appalachians and adjacent
plains.
- Convergence...
Occurs when air
piles up, or two air masses
collide.
When this occurs in Southern
California...it's often
associated with strong storm
systems during the winter time.
Moist pacific air colliding with
a dry air over the interior.
In the summer time... it's often
associated with the Monsoon
Season. Moist air from
Mexico and dry air from the Great
Basin region.
- Convective Lifting...
When an air parcel
is heated and rises above cooler
air surrounding it.
This condition is most common in Southern
California with the Monsoon
Season. When warm/moist
air lifts above the cool/dense
air at the surface.
The most
common type of clouds in southern
California is Stratus clouds. Stratus
clouds are most associated the
"Marine Layer".
More
on the basics...
|
