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To understand why low pressure produces cloudy weather, there are several properties of air that we first need to understand:
1) Air is a mixture of gases, including water vapor. Clouds form when water vapor (gas) condenses into (liquid) water droplets.
2) Cold air can't hold as much water vapor as warm air can. (This is why you see your breath in the winter but not the summer; your warm breath is cooled enough in the winter that some of the water vapor in it condenses into liquid water droplets.)
3) Lowering the pressure of air causes its temperature to decrease. For example, if you let the air out of a tire, you will observe that the escaping air feels cold. (Likewise, compressing a gas raises its temperature; this is why the bottom part of a bicycle pump feels hot after pumping up a tire, for example. Both of these statements are contained in the equation PV=RT, the Ideal Gas Law.)
4)The pressure higher in the atmosphere is lower, because there is less weight of air pushing down. This is why people talk about the air being "thin" on mountaintops.
5)A low pressure system is a region of rising air.
--> So, a low pressure system is cloudy because it is an area of rising air (5), which cools as it rises because as a result of the pressure being lower higher in the sky (4), the temperature goes down (3). Since the temperature goes down, the water vapor in the air (1) condenses into water droplets (2), making clouds.
This is also why most clouds have flat bottoms--the bottom of the cloud marks the altitude that the pressure is low enough that the temperature is low enough that the water vapor can condense out into clouds.
Wiki User
∙ 15y ago
Wiki User
∙ 16y agoAreas of low pressure have more clouds than areas of high pressure because areas of high pressure tend to have higher tempertatures than low pressure areas and when areas have high pressures the tempertaure tends to be higher which increases the chance of evaporation.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoThe reason why areas of high PRESSURE have fewer clouds than areas of low pressure is because areas of high pressure suppress air, while areas of low pressure force air upward. Because areas of high pressure suppress air, water vapor cannot rise and condense into clouds as easily.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoCold, sinking air aloft is compressed and heated as it sinks in areas of high pressure. This causes an elevated temperature inversion. An elevated temperature inversion occurs when a layer of warm air resides over a layer cooler air (at the surface) thereby restricting the vertical movement of air. The vertical movement of air is necessary for cloud development. This is why you see very few, if any, clouds in areas of high pressure.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoHigh pressure means clear skies, with no clouds. And that gives our hottest summer weather, and coldest winter weather.
Wiki User
∙ 8y agoAir in a low pressure system sinks and is compressed, which causes it to warm. The warming tends to make clouds evaporate.
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What kind of weather conditions happen in a low pressure system?
A Low Pressure System is the kind of system that allows clouds to form. When clouds form, you can get a cloudy day, with most low pressure systems, the clouds bring the rain.
Are cumulonimbus clouds low or high pressure?
Low Pressure, A Low Pressure Area allows clouds to form, as a result, you can get a storm from a low pressure area.A High Pressure Area is the exact opposite, it doesn't allow clouds to form, you can get sunny weather from this kind of system.
Why does descending air not allow for clouds to form?
High Pressure comes down and the clouds are up.
Do clouds form during high or low pressure system?
low pressure systems
What type of weather is associated with high pressure and with low pressure systems?
high pressure usually brings fair weather because all that pressure is pushing on that air so it can't rise, clouds can't form and precipitation cannot form either, low pressure is the oppisite it lets air rise so clouds form and condense it to rain or snow so the weather is crappy
Do clouds form in high pressure areas or low pressure areas?
no
Where does lenticular clouds form?
Lenticular clouds generally form in mountainous regions. In these areas, there can be pockets of low pressure in the sky. When air encounters these low-pressure regions, it expands. If the air cools enough, it will condense to form lenticular clouds. The name "lenticular" actually means lens-shaped, because these clouds usually form an oval.
Do clouds form easily when the air pressure is high or low?
Clouds only form when the air pressure is low.
What kind of weather is associated with areas of high pressure?
Normally, High Pressure doesn't allow clouds to form. That means it would bring sunny weather.
What is the name of the cloud that covers large areas and form in layers?
Stratus Clouds are clouds that cover large areas and form in layers.
What kind of weather conditions happen in a low pressure system?
A Low Pressure System is the kind of system that allows clouds to form. When clouds form, you can get a cloudy day, with most low pressure systems, the clouds bring the rain.
Are cumulonimbus clouds low or high pressure?
Low Pressure, A Low Pressure Area allows clouds to form, as a result, you can get a storm from a low pressure area.A High Pressure Area is the exact opposite, it doesn't allow clouds to form, you can get sunny weather from this kind of system.
Do clouds form over low pressure?
Yes they do
Why do clouds form spirals?
They dont usually but if they do the wind.
Why does descending air not allow for clouds to form?
High Pressure comes down and the clouds are up.
Why does descending air allow for clouds to form?
High Pressure comes down and the clouds are up.
Do clouds form during high or low pressure system?
low pressure systems
