Many people might not think about the weight of a cloud when they look at one, but it is definitely impressive. Clouds can look so light and fluffy, almost as if they could float away. Yet you take the type of cloud that gets seen when the sun's shining, a cumulus cloud, and they can pack anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 tons of weight. That's without getting into the denser clouds that can occur while a storm's brewing. To understand what makes up that weight, it's not really that hard to figure. Cumulus clouds can have some volume to them, and the water contained within can add up to an enormous number. Investigators of cloud weight have figured that the amount of water in a cumulus cloud can be roughly extrapolated from its size and density.

Clouds can carry a lot of weight, some more than others. The cumulo type clouds are among the heaviest, with or without rain. They can have up to 90,000 tons of water and still float. Of course, the type and amount of moisture in a cloud are the biggest determinants of a cloud's weight. That is the way it is with the next kind of heavy cloud, which is a rain cloud, or nimbostratus. They also can carry an astonishing amount of weight.