Satellite data from SSM/I show a significant magnitude of variation in 85 GHz brightness temperature due to passage of low pressure systems in the polar region over sea ice. However, the interpretation of this variation is not conclusive. The variation may caused by emission from liquid water in the cloud system, scattering by cloud and precipitating ice particles, surface temperature change associated with the cloud passage, or variation in water vapor in the atmosphere. Our study attempts to quantify each of the effects mentioned above, and extract the cloud and precipitation signatures. Microwave data from SSM/I and SSM/T2 are analyzed for clear and cloudy regions over sea ice. The location and extents of the cloud systems are identified by using infrared satellite images. The interpretation of these data will be aided by radiative transfer simulations. For validation of our interpretation, we will use microwave data from MIR (90 – 340 GHz) and AMPR (10 – 90 GHz) collected from 1998 FIRE / SHEBA aircraft missions