However, if Re is less than 2300, the flow will be laminar even if it is disturbed. Thus 2300 is the value the Re below which turbulence will not occur in a pipe. Moreover, if the flow has a different geometry, such as flow in a square duct, or over a turbine blade, transition will occur at different values of Re. Air motion is invariably turbulent. There is no such thing as a laminar smokestack.
Clouds too are usually turbulent.
Here we determine the Reynolds number using an approximate characteristic dimension of the cloud such as its height or width. A high value indeed. When the flow is turbulent, the flow contains eddying motions of all sizes, and a large part of the mechanical energy in the flow goes into the formation of these eddies which eventually dissipate their energy as heat. As a result, at a given Reynolds number, the drag of a turbulent flow is higher than the drag of a laminar flow. Also, turbulent flow is affected by surface roughness, so that increasing roughness increases the drag.