Abstract:Based on the data from Huashan Meteorological Station during 1985-2014, this paper analyzed the changes of clouds in Huashan Mountain in the past 30 years and the related weather elements like precipitation, relative humidity and wind speed. It turned out that the annual mean days with the sea of clouds was 26.27 d, the maximum days with the sea of clouds was 72 d, and the minimum was 3 d. In particular, the annual mean days with the area of the sea of clouds ≤ 200 km2 was 24.23 d while the days with area ≥ 200 km2 was 2.87 d on average, with a maximum of 20 d (in 1985 and 1994) and a minimum of 2 d (in 1997). While no sea of clouds with an area ≥ 200 km2 has appeared since 1997. Generally speaking, the occurrence of the sea of clouds shows a descending trend with obvious interannual differences. Days with the sea of clouds tend to occur most in autumn (with average number of 8.13 d) but least in winter (with average number of 4.60 d); specifically, we can see that the number of days with the sea of clouds is the highest in August and the lowest in May. It is interesting to note that the sea of clouds with area ≥ 200 km2 appears most in winter but least in summer. Such events appear the most in November, followed by March and December, and the least in May. On the very day or the day before the appearance of the sea of clouds with the area ≥ 200 km2, it always tends to rain and the probability is about 84.30%. When the relative humidity is ≥ 70%, it is inclined to form the sea of clouds, and, at that time, the winds blow usually at the speed ≤ 10.0 m·s-1, which is beneficial to the developing and maintaining of the sea of clouds.