Why do clouds turn black, when they become a storm?

Answer 1

They are full of the particles that make raindrops

Answer 2

Basically the answer was stated above, but this is a great question, and the answer in full is rather complicaed.

Clouds usually look gray when we are directly underneath them. This is because sunlight doesn'tt shine directly on the bottom of clouds, but shines through the tops of the clouds.

The sunlight gets blocked more when the cloud is thicker. So the bottom of the cloud looks dark.

If you are under a tall dark cloud, wait until it passes, and look at it's side. The side of the cloud will be illuminated by sunlight, and thus all white. So, the brightness of the cloud (white versus gray or black) has a lot to do with where you are standing and the thickness of the cloud.

Sunlight has to travel thousands of feet through the cloud to our eyes. As the light travels through the thick cloud it gets scattered, absorbed, and reflected away from our eyes. In the end, this means that less and less light reaches our eyes.

Remember also that color is light in that all colors are represented in white light.

If all colors of the spectrum are present (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet) then the color of light is white. If no light at all (not any of the colors above) are seen, then the color is called black.

White = all colors

Black = no colors

So, since clouds are white (typically) then clouds must reflect ALL colors of the rainbow.

All wavelengths or "parts" of light are scattered equally when light hits clouds. This type of scattering is called Mie scattering, and is the reasoning behind clouds being white. If the light hitting clouds does not have all parts or wavelengths of light, then the clouds will scatter whatever colors. This is the case at sunset, when only the Red/Orange/Yellow wavelengths of light are hitting the clouds.

Referencing what I said above...in stormy weather with cumulonimbus clouds reaching tops as high as 70,000 feet, and miles wide...that lack of light not able to filter though makes the cloud seem very dark.

Moisture also plays a role in that in these storms, the clouds are super saturated and dense, contributing to the darkness of clouds as well by both the rain being grey in color and blocking more light from shining through the cloud mass.

Answer 3

the real reason isnt beacuse of just the rain. When larg thunderstorms develop over you, the DO contain large amounts of water particles, however 4 more factors paly into the black color.

1. you are completely under the clound and cant see the tiop white part.

2. thunderstorm clounds are extreamly tall and the sun shining all the way through them down into the 'wet base' causes light to refract off the water and apper dark.

3. the clouds becom very heavy and sag lower into the atmosphere where the air can affect the colors we see.

4. Its a nice warning taht God provided us with for when we cant watch radar or tv, we know rain is coming by the sky!

Answer 4

As the clouds fill up with moisture, the moisture being denser does not allow the sun light to pass threw as easily and that causes the clouds to look darker. The more moisture the darker the clouds become.

Answer 5

When a cloud turns black i.e is called NIMBOSRATUS CLOUD which hold water and it brings conventional rain.

Answer 6

yeah you'd think the clouds would turn deep blue or something like that not Black. water is not black

Answer 7

Because when it rains people are sad, and when people are sad that are like emo kids, and emo kids like darkness, thus the clouds are black.

Answer 8

they are denser that normal clouds so the suns light can't get though so they appear to be darker but its just that they are blocking the sunlight from coming though

Answer 9

Because they are holding water.

Answer 10

because they are so thick and tall that they block out the sun's light