Clouds of the Day - December 3, 2023

Cumulus clouds are common in warm weather when warm moist air is heated by the summer sunshine and rises and condenses into puffy clouds like this one. In this case the cloud formed in a much cooler air mass. Clouds form when heating of the air causes rising motion and condensation. There were streamers of ice crystals falling out of the bottom of this cloud but they were not reaching the ground. The clouds in this case were forming because of the differences in air temperature between the ambient air mass and areas of warmer air caused by solar heating. It is similar to what happens when air is heated inside a hot air balloon. In this case the parcel of air is heated and it responds by rising and condensing into the Cumulus cloud that is trailing ice crystal streamers.