Explanation

Clear nights are cooler than cloudy nights because of radiation. Here's why:

• On a clear night, the Earth's surface rapidly loses heat by radiating it into space, a process known as radiative heat loss. This causes the temperature to drop.
• On a cloudy night, the clouds act as an insulating blanket, trapping heat and preventing it from escaping into space. This reduces radiative heat loss and keeps the temperature warmer.