So, now that we know the average cumulus cloud weighs 1.1 million pounds, how does this much weight stay in the air and not crash down on our heads? It is actually because the cloud weighs less than the clear, dry air surrounding it! Atmospheric/barometric pressure, or the weight of the dry air particles, is almost 1,000 times heavier than the weight of all the water particles in that singular cloud! So, the "lighter" water droplets/cloud is less dense than the surrounding dry air in a given volume, allowing the cloud to rise and safely float above our heads.⁠ ⁠ A secondary explanation for why clouds float despite their heavy weight is because of the size of the water droplets contained within them and the physical space over which they are spread. Most clouds contain water droplets and/or ice crystals that are rather small and are spread out over a huge space (miles, even) within the clouds. Because of this combination, the effect of gravity on these water droplets, and therefore thei...