How does cloudiness impact temperature on a clear night?

On a clear night, the absence of clouds allows heat to escape from the Earth's surface into the atmosphere. This phenomenon is known as radiational cooling, where the heat emitted by the ground is not trapped by clouds, causing temperatures to drop significantly. Therefore, cloud cover plays a key role in regulating nighttime temperatures. On cloudy nights, clouds act as an insulating layer that reflects some of the outgoing infrared radiation back to the surface, helping to maintain warmer temperatures.

Given this context, the correct answer indicates that temperatures decrease on clear nights due to the lack of cloud cover allowing increased heat loss.