How much does a cloud weigh in tons?

A typical cumulus cloud can weigh approximately 550 tons — about the same as 100 elephants. Although the weight may vary, this gives a clear idea of how massive these clouds can be.

A typical cumulus cloud (the "cotton candy" type of cloud you often see on sunny days) weighs about:

500,000 to 1 million kilograms
or roughly
500 to 1,000 metric tons
or
550 to 1,100 US tons.

How is that possible?

• Clouds are mostly tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in air.

• Even though each droplet is extremely tiny (usually about 0.01 mm in diameter), a typical cumulus cloud contains billions and billions of them.

• Scientists estimate that a 1-kilometer cube of cumulus cloud may contain about 500 grams of water per cubic meter.

• Multiply that by the total volume (say, a kilometer tall, wide, and deep), and you end up with about 500 million grams, or 500,000 kilograms — 500 tons.