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Clouds and Precipitation
online meteorology guide


Graphic by: Yiqi Shao

A cloud is a visible aggregate of tiny water droplets and/or ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere and can exist in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some clouds are accompanied by precipitation; rain, snow, hail, sleet, even freezing rain. The purpose of this module is to introduce a number of cloud classifications, different types of precipitation, and the mechanisms responsible for producing them. The Clouds and Precipitation module has been organized into the following sections:

Sections
Last Update: 07/21/97
Development
The importance of rising motion and the mechanisms responsible for lifting the air.

Cloud Types
High, middle and low-level clouds, vertically developed clouds, plus some less common cloud types.

Precipitation
Rain, snow, hail, sleet and freezing rain.

Acknowledgments
Those who contributed to the development of this module.


Terms for using data resources. CD-ROM available.
Credits and Acknowledgments for WW2010.
Department of Atmospheric Sciences (DAS) at
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.