Cloud Base Calculator
Calculate the lowest altitude of the visible portion of a cloud as well as its temperature with this free calculator.
Required Information
Result:
Create Date: July 17, 2024
Last Modified Date: February 1, 2025
Calculating cloud base can be done with the following variables:
You can use our Dew Point Calculator to find this value!
When you use this calculator you will get two different results with your answer. The cloud base, which is the lowest elevation at which the clouds will be at, as well as the temperature of those clouds. You can alter the units of measurements for these answers to get a better understanding of them as well.
Our cloud base calculator tool is designed to be very easy to use and efficient as well. You can follow these steps to use the tool:
Let's say we are going to be doing a project and with this project we need to find the cloud base. We can use this tool to help us do that. Our current situation is as such: a temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit, a dew point of 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and a current elevation of 1,240 feet. We can enter these values into their corresponding fields and then hit calculate. When we do we learn that the cloud base is at about 3,512 feet and the clouds have a temperature of about 57.73 degrees Fahrenheit.
Clouds and their formations been studied for centuries. Clouds were used by sailors and farmers regularly before there was much verified information about them. The study of clouds really began back in the 1800s when English meteorologist classified clouds into the three main types.
With a more thorough understanding of clouds, scientists would begin to investigate them further. One of the topics that came about was the height of clouds. In the 1800s scientists would use geometry and trigonometry to estimate the height of clouds by measuring their shadows and other aspects of them.
Some of the earliest measurement of cloud height were likely done with the help of early weather balloons. Information was being tracked with tools attached to the balloon. As technology advanced, cloud base would more important, mainly in aviation.
Devices to measure cloud base were invented, namely the ceilometer. Radars and satellites would begin to measure clouds and their height as well. The technology we have today makes measuring cloud base as easy as possible and is something that is used in various cases.
The lowest cloud base will typically be at or below 6,500 feet above ground.
The process of evaporative cooling during rainfall can produce clouds lower than the existing base.
Fog is essentially the same as clouds but occurs at ground level. Clouds are classified as such when they form at or above 50 feet.
Supercooling prevents clouds from freezing, even when temperatures drop below their freezing point. Scientists are still studying this phenomenon.
Understanding cloud base can be difficult if some of the terms and keywords used are not ones you understand. Here we shed some more light on some of these terms.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ceilometer | A device that uses a laser or other source of light to find the height of a cloud. |
| Geometry | A branch of math that is concerned with the properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. |
| Dew point | Dew point is the temperature at which water vapor in the air will turn into liquid droplets. |
There are many interesting things that can be shared about cloud base. Here are some of our favorites.
The lowest cloud base possible is fog. It is a cloud that has a base of zero feet basically.
Cirrus clouds have the highest cloud bases. These bases are typically anywhere from 30,000 to 60,000 feet high.
Even Mars has clouds with some amazingly high cloud bases. They are estimated to be anywhere from 33,000 to 98,000 feet high.
