How large can a cloud cover be?

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In summary, the largest continuous cover cloud ever recorded on Earth was during a storm in 1991, covering an area of over 1 million square miles. However, non-storm related cover clouds can also be very large, with the largest one on record covering an area of about 620,000 square miles. There are many different types of clouds and conditions that affect their size, making it difficult to give a specific answer.
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Hi! I was watching satellite pics of the Earth and I noticed that continuous cover clouds can be really large. So... I felt curious and my question is obvious: Please, does anybody know how large can a cover cloud be on planet Earth, or at least a few of the largest measured ones? (Not necessarily during hurricanes, typhoons or the like.) Thank you in advance!
 
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I think that is difficult to answer because of the many different types of clouds and conditions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cloud_types#/media/File:Cloud_types_en.svg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratus_cloud
Stratus clouds are low-level clouds characterized by horizontal layering with a uniform base, as opposed to convective or cumuliform clouds that are formed by rising thermals. They have up to 2 km altitude/height and could be hundreds of thousands of miles in breadth. I'm not sure how one would measure such large coverage. I've flown coast-to-coast in the US, and occasionally, the cloud cover was continuous for most of the flight.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratocumulus_cloud
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nimbostratus_cloud

There are localized effects - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumulonimbus_cloud - with a height of 16 km. Apparently some have been recorded in the tropics with heights of 22 km or more.
 
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Hi there! That's a great question. I did a bit of research and it seems that the largest continuous cover cloud ever recorded on Earth was during a storm in the Pacific Ocean in 1991. It covered an area of over 1 million square miles, which is about the size of Australia! However, this was during a hurricane, so if you're looking for non-storm related cover clouds, the largest one on record was over the Pacific Ocean as well and covered an area of about 620,000 square miles. That's still incredibly large! I hope that answers your question.
 

1. How is the size of a cloud cover measured?

The size of a cloud cover is typically measured in terms of its horizontal extent, or the distance from one edge of the cloud to the other. This can range from a few meters to hundreds of kilometers, depending on the type of cloud and atmospheric conditions.

2. What is the largest recorded cloud cover?

The largest recorded cloud cover was a massive storm system that covered over 7.7 million square kilometers, roughly the size of the entire continent of Australia. This occurred in 1991 in the Southern Hemisphere and was known as the Great Red Spot of Jupiter.

3. Can a cloud cover span multiple countries?

Yes, a cloud cover can span multiple countries if it is large enough. For example, a large storm system can cover multiple states or even entire countries, as seen with hurricanes and typhoons.

4. How does the size of a cloud cover affect weather patterns?

The size of a cloud cover can greatly impact weather patterns. A larger cloud cover can bring more moisture and precipitation, while a smaller cloud cover may result in drier conditions. Additionally, larger cloud covers can also affect wind patterns and temperatures in the surrounding areas.

5. Is there a limit to how large a cloud cover can be?

There is no specific limit to how large a cloud cover can be, as it is dependent on various factors such as atmospheric conditions and the type of cloud. However, it is unlikely that a cloud cover would cover the entire Earth's surface, as this would require a perfect combination of conditions and is not typically seen in nature.

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