"If clouds weigh so much, how do they float/stay in the sky?" — LeeAnn

Before I begin answering this question, the question itself may have already surprised you — clouds weigh a lot?

Yes, an average cumulus cloud can weigh over 1 million pounds!

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To find out more on the science behind this, watch this video.

Now back to the question, and it’s a great one. If clouds are so heavy, then why wouldn’t they fall out of the sky?

Well, even though there’s an immense amount of water inside these clouds that contribute to their overall weight, the droplets themselves are extremely tiny.

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Since they are so small, the rising air— that contributed to the cloud formation in the first place — keeps the tiny droplets suspended in the sky.

It’s similar to thinking about dust particles floating around in your house — they stay suspended for much longer than you would think.

Once the droplets collide and become bigger, and therefore heavier, we begin to see rain fall from the sky because gravity finally wins out. 

So, while it's fun to imagine a little weather magic keeping the clouds floating up there, it’s actually just some simple atmospheric physics.

Caitlin Kaiser graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with both an undergraduate and graduate degree in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences before starting her career as a digital meteorologist with weather.com.