Weather Flash: Why is it cooler on clear nights than cloudy nights?

WASHINGTON ( DC News Now ) — During the day, the sun heats the earth’s surface, and heat is released back into the atmosphere at night via radiational cooling.

According to the National Weather Service, traditional cooling is “the cooling of the Earth’s surface.”

But have you ever noticed that some nights are cooler than others?

Well, sky cover plays a huge role in why some nights are warmer than others. Clouds act like a blanket at night when the heat from the surface is released back into the atmosphere.

The heat is trapped in the atmosphere, allowing night temperatures to stay warmer.

However, on clear nights we see the complete opposite because nothing stops the heat from leaving the atmosphere.

On clear nights we tend to see cooler conditions. Winds can also play a factor in temperatures are night.

If winds are present temperatures at night will be a bit warmer because, like clouds, the wind acts as a barrier when the heat is released back into the atmosphere.

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