On the cloud course

Heini, the service and administration manager at Helsinki Adult Education Centre, is testing the course offerings at the centre. This time, Heini participated in the Cloud Course.

You may not find happiness by reaching for the clouds, but watching them is a fascinating activity. It is best done on a warm summer day, lying down on the grass or even on a sandy beach. I was able to try something similar indoors at the college's Cloud Course in February. Living in the 2010s, the word cloud course may at first bring to mind strange associations. At least for me, the first thing that came to mind was not the sky, but information technology. Fortunately, this course focused on real clouds. The course was said to be suitable for boaters and birdwatchers, landscape painters, cloud admirers, and those interested in weather and meteorology. I myself enjoy watching clouds purely for aesthetic reasons and also because clouds floating in the sky have a similar effect on the mind as meditation or mindfulness. I have also felt a little despair after painting clouds that I thought looked a little strange and were colored, but my later research has shown that such things do exist. Actually, those clouds turned out to be pretty good cumulus clouds.

What is done in a cloud course?

We watched cloud images on a big screen with the guidance of Sari Hartonen, the chief meteorologist at the Finnish Meteorological Institute. The first time we got to know upper and middle clouds and the second time we got to know lower clouds according to their height. At the same time, we talked about the weather and its phenomena: what clouds tell us and how we can use them to predict the weather in the coming hours. The main focus was on viewing the images at a fairly fast pace, and I think the course content was perhaps best suited for a cloud admirer like me. There was certainly a lot of information on the page, and the most memorable details were some that tickled my fancy. For example, did you know that clouds are divided into genera? Or that airplane condensation trails are classified as cirrus clouds? Or that fog is just clouds on the ground? I like fog in addition to clouds.

Flying saucers and UFO clouds

It was interesting to hear that clouds can be determined to belong to a certain genus using such a charmingly old-fashioned method as measuring with your finger. So a handy cloud measuring tool is always with you. The result is not an exact science, if only because fingers are of different thicknesses, so Hartonen believes that the method can be approached with a little reservation. Categorizing clouds can sometimes be difficult anyway, as one type may be changing into another. Usually, there are several different types of clouds floating in the sky. One of the most fascinating is altocumulus, which can sometimes resemble a flying saucer. After taking the course, I know that the UFO cloud that amazed Sweden in January belonged to this genus.

I found my favorite cloud

My personal favorite is perhaps cumulus humilis, a cumulus cloud of beautiful air. A cotton ball floating in the sky, light and carefree, which does not threaten my sunny summer day in any way, but only decorates it with its peaceful nature. Even though humilis means “insignificant, insignificant”. However, it has great significance for me, as an aesthetic joy for my summer days and a reminder of how unique Finnish summer and its few hot days are. The message of cumulus humilis is “carpe diem, because you are only here for a moment, just like me”. What fascinates about clouds is precisely their ever-changing shape and beauty, their unattainability. When you look away, the cloud has already changed from a poodle to a dragon. You cannot grab it or touch it, but you can admire it and let your imagination fly. In Hartonen’s words, “clouds are constantly changing creatures” and that is precisely why, ah, they are so fascinating.

Text: Heini, Helsinki Adult Education Institute

Photo: Evie Fjord, Unsplash