News Climate

City skylines influence cloud formation above them

Satellite data show taller buildings boost clouds, whereas higher density dampens them

Seen from above at dusk, Chicago's grid of skyscrapers radiates heat long after sunset. A new study finds urban skylines influence clouds that form directly overhead.

AerialPerspective Works/Creatas Video/Getty Images

By Larissa G. Capella

Skyscrapers don’t just reshape a city’s skyline; they may also shape the sky itself.

Nighttime satellite observations show that 44 major U.S.