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A large white cumulus cloud above green fields and distant houses.
Environment

Can a cloud weigh more than a million pounds?

Published

Verdict
True
Verification confidenceHigh

Explanation

Yes. The water droplets in a cloud can collectively weigh more than a million pounds. A cloud's fluffy appearance does not mean that its contents have no mass.

NOAA explains that clouds consist of tiny water droplets, ice particles, or both. In a Weather.com explanation, meteorologist Sara Tonks describes an illustrative cumulus-cloud estimate of about 1.1 million pounds of water.

That number is an example, not a standard weight for every cloud. The result depends on the cloud's volume and water content, and the droplets are dispersed throughout the air rather than packed into one solid mass.

Key takeaway

Clouds can contain an enormous mass of water spread across an enormous volume. Their weight varies with size and composition.

Evidence

Cloud particles have substantial collective mass

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Supports the claim

NOAA describes clouds as collections of tiny water or ice particles and explains that their total weight can reach many millions of tons.

Based on: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

A meteorologist explains the million-pound estimate

The Weather Channel

Supports the claim

Meteorologist Sara Tonks gives an illustrative cumulus-cloud water-mass estimate of 1.1 million pounds and explains that actual values vary with cloud size and composition.

Based on: The Weather Channel

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