Clouds appear white or gray due to their interaction with sunlight through diffuse reflection. Here’s how it works:
- Water droplets and ice crystals in clouds scatter all colors of light nearly equally
- When all wavelengths are scattered together, we see white
- Thicker clouds appear gray because less light makes it through
- The darkest clouds typically contain more water droplets
Cloud color can also be influenced by factors like the angle of the Sun, pollution levels, and the type of particles in the cloud. During sunrise or sunset, clouds can take on the colors of the sky around them, appearing pink, orange, or red due to the same scattering effects that color the sky.