What's with the weather?

Fall is a great time to get outside and explore the strange weather that comes with the changing of the season. If you are anything like me, you've been completely flummoxed by the cold snaps and warm spells we've been having over the past few weeks. I know, nothing should surprise me when it comes to weather in New England, but part of me still expects that on the first official day of fall, the cold air will move in and we can all start layering up and drinking hot apple cider. Of course, this is never the case.

With confusing changes in temperature, comes an awesome opportunity to step outside and explore some of the signs we can find in nature to help us predict what the weather might be! Before weather people, the news, and weather.com, it was up to people to read the landscape to determine any kind of changes that might be happening in the forecast! Being able to examine your surroundings to make predictions about the weather is a wonderful skill to have and below are just some of the things you can observe to help you know what to expect from the day. 

Prediction: a guess about what will happen in the future based on current observations

Explore the Clouds

The clouds can tell us an incredible amount about what we can expect from the weather! When we look at the sky, it's hard to believe that all of the clouds we see are essentially giant balls of condensed water that will inevitably become too heavy and make their way back to earth's surface in some form of precipitation. Looking at the clouds through a scientific lens can actually help us to know what the different cloud types mean!

The four major cloud types are:

Condensation:
The conversion of water from vapor to a liquid. When this happens in the Earth's atmosphere, water vapor condenses onto dust particles in the sky to form clouds!

Precipitation:
​The action of water being released from clouds in the form of rain, snow, or ice. When the clouds become too heavy with water, earth's gravity will cause the water to fall as some form of precipitation. 

​Cirrus Clouds look like someone took a paintbrush of white paint and started adding delicate brush strokes to the blue sky. These wispy strands are created by wind in the atmosphere stretching the clouds apart and are usually seen very high in the sky. 

Seeing cirrus clouds usually indicates that there will be change of weather within 24 hours. Because they are formed by strong winds, and sometimes wind that we can't feel on the surface of the Earth, it means that new weather patterns are moving in.

​Cumulus Clouds remind a lot of people of giant cotton balls floating in the sky. These clouds are the picture of a beautiful day, and that's exactly what they mean! Often times the base of these clouds is very flat and then their cotton-like texture extends high into the sky.

If you are seeing cumulus clouds in the sky, it means that it is sunny outside and you can expect the weather to stay the same ​until the clouds change.

Cumulonimbus Clouds are Cumulus Clouds' dramatic cousins. These huge, gray clouds are heavy with condensed water and are ready to fall back to Earth! The clouds often take the shape of an anvil with the lighter part of the clouds rising higher in the atmosphere and the heavier part of the clouds being closer to earth. The lighter clouds, higher in the atmosphere are more easily moved by high winds in the sky and can indicate which direction the clouds are moving in!

Seeing Cumulonimbus Clouds indicates that there is snow, rain, hail, lightning and possible thunderstorms approaching.

Stratus Clouds are a common fall sight and are what we call the blanket of gray clouds that coat the sky. They are the typical indicator of a dreary day ahead. In my opinion, nothing is cozier that staying inside bundled up when Stratus Clouds are in the sky. 

If you are seeing Stratus Clouds, you can expect an occasional drizzle or dampness in the air along with light rain, but mostly it is a sign of a day without sun.

Next week, we will look into other aspects of our environments that can help us make even more predictions about how the weather may change, including: plant behavior, animal behavior, and wind movement!