Why does a clear night temperature drop quicker than a cloudy night?

A clear night experiences a quicker temperature drop because there are fewer clouds to trap heat. During the day, the Earth's surface absorbs sunlight, and at night, clear skies allow the heat to radiate away into space. In contrast, clouds act as an insulating layer, reflecting some of the outgoing infrared radiation back to the surface, which helps to maintain warmer temperatures. Thus, without cloud cover, the heat dissipates faster, leading to cooler nighttime temperatures.