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Four Winds Nature Institute
4 Casey Rd., Chittenden, VT 05737
(802) 353-9440 www.fourwindsinstitute.org
WINDS ALOFT – SLIDE SHOW SCRIPT
1. CUMULUS CLOUDS
Have you ever looked up at the sky and seen shapes you recognize in the clouds - like horses, turtles,
or bears? Sometimes you can watch clouds as they change – pulling apart, bunching together, or even
disappearing completely. Where do clouds come from? (Pause for answers.)
2. CUMULUS CLOUDS
When warm, wet air meets cooler air, the water vapor forms masses of tiny droplets. Light is scattered
by these droplets, making them look white or, in thicker clouds, gray. Scientists sort clouds into many
different types. What are these cottony, billowy clouds called? (cumulus clouds)
3. CUMULUS CLOUDS
Cumulus clouds usually occur when the weather is sunny and the skies are clear. Some people call
them “fair weather clouds.”
4. THUNDERHEAD
Some days, when warm air rises very rapidly into colder air aloft, the cumulus clouds build higher and
higher, creating thunderheads that may bring high winds, lightning, thunder, drenching rain, and even
hail. A thunderhead like this one can rise 40,000 to 75,000 feet into the air.
5. CIRRUS CLOUDS
Sometimes the water in the clouds is so high and the air is so cold that it produces tiny ice crystals
instead of water droplets. Does anyone know what these wispy, feathery clouds are called? (cirrus
clouds)
6. CIRRUS CLOUDS
Cirrus comes from the Latin word for “curl.” Can you see why they are called that? Another name for
these hair-like strands is “mares’ tails.” The jet trails we often see in the sky are also a form of cirrus
cloud. Although cirrus clouds usually occur when the sky is blue, they predict changing weather in a
day or two.
7. MACKEREL SKY
Some cirrus clouds look like the stripes on a fish. These are sometimes called a “mackerel sky.”
8. MACKEREL SKY WITH MACKEREL
Sailors had an expression, “Mackerel sky and mares’ tails make lofty ships carry low sails.” What do
you suppose they meant by that? (mackerel skies usual come before bad weather and ships would need
to take in their sails)
9. STRATUS CLOUDS
Sometimes the clouds are low and dark and cover the earth like a big wet blanket. These are called
stratus clouds. “Stratus” means “layer.”
10. STRATUS CLOUDS
Stratus clouds are often accompanied by steady rain or snow. If the sky is completely overcast,
chances are good that you are seeing stratus clouds.
11. COMBINATION
On most days, you can see more than one type of cloud in the sky at one time. What types can you see
here? (cirrus on the center right; cumulus elsewhere)
12. COMBINATION
What kinds do you see here? (cirrus on upper left; puffs of cumulus in lower center). Here strong
winds high in the sky are blowing in a layer of cirrus clouds over the puffy cumulus below. Wind often
brings a change in the clouds and in the weather.
13. WIND FARM
Wind also provides us with a source of power that we can use to make electricity. Have you ever seen
a wind turbine at work?
14. WIND VANE
Cloud type and the direction of the wind both give helpful hints about the coming weather. Farmers
needed to know about the weather, so they often had a weathervane like this one on top of the barn
roof. The next time you go outside, look up at the clouds, feel the wind on your face, and see
what you can learn about the weather!
Four Winds Nature Institute – 11/14.