MOLINE, Ill. — Storm clouds come in many shapes and sizes, but what about their colors? What can that tell us about a particular storm? That's a question John from Milan, Illinois, submitted recently. Let's dig in!
A typical summer storm is brewing near your location. The sun is still shining but, the sky is extremely dark to the west. Pitch black, as many would call it. I remember growing up seeing this type of sky, an ominous sign that a bad storm was brewing and ready to strike. As you can imagine, there is a specific reason certain storm clouds look darker than others, and yes, some of it does have to do with the water content. However, your viewing location can also impact the color, too!
Cloud thickness
As clouds grow taller and become thicker, they block more and more sunlight, making them appear gray and dark. Water vapor in the clouds eventually clumps together creating raindrops, leaving larger spaces between the drops themselves. This blocks even more light from being reflected, making the cloud appear black and gray.
Your location
Your position relative to the cloud and where the sun is shining will also affect how dark a storm cloud appears. If you are viewing the cloud from the opposite side of the sun, it appears much darker because less light is passing through it. If you are between the sun and the clouds, they will appear white because the cloud reflects light, scattering it back into your location. This is very similar to tornadoes.
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