Clouds Clouds Kathy Miles Daily Local News Summer days are approaching, and we visualize long days of sun and blue sky dotted with lazily floating clouds. As clouds go, these are the friendliest type, gently passing over our heads. There are many types of clouds, and if you get to know the basic types, you can get some insight into what the weather is likely to be. For the most part, clouds are made up of condensed water vapor. Temperature is also a major factor in cloud formation.
Warm air can absorb much more moisture than cold air.
That s why you can see your breath when it s cold, but not when it is warm. Your breath is a source of moisture, and when the temperature is cold, that moisture readily condenses into little clouds. Warm moist air will rise, cooling as it goes. Now all it takes to have clouds to form, is something for the water vapor to cling to. This is airborne particles of dust, smoke, pollen, salt or volcanic ash.