Why are clouds gray before it rains? – Noah, Hilton Northwood Elementary School
Remember that all clouds are made of either water droplets or ice crystals. The color of a cloud is actually the result of the amount of sunlight making it through the cloud. A thicker cloud with more droplets will tend to reflect more sunlight back to space, making the cloud appear darker as you look up to the sky. If we see a white cloud, chances are it is a thinner cloud with more sunlight passing through and more light reaching our eyes. A developing storm will dominate our weather over the next few days and we expect many clouds over Rochester. The clouds may start out lighter early today and then become darker as rain develops.
