Mother Nature's Blanket: How Clouds Affect Temps

After another cloudy day across the Stateline, the forecast is calling for clearing skies heading into Friday. The speed in which those clouds move out will play a big factor in just how cold we get Thursday night. Here's why:

Thick cloud cover acts much like a blanket. At night, the ground releases heat that it has built up throughout the day. When that heat rises, the clouds will reflect some of it back towards the ground, slowing the cooling effect we normally see at night.



Clear skies, however, allow any heat released by the ground at night to continue rising and escape into the atmosphere. That means we cool off at a faster rate, giving us colder overnight temps.




At this point, lows in the mid 20s will be the norm for most of the Stateline, but if skies clear quickly tonight, don't be surprised if we wake up to a few low 20s Friday morning. -BA