An analytic cloud droplet effective radius expression is derived and validated by using field experiment microphysical data. This expression shows that the effective radius depends simultaneously upon the cloud liquid water content, droplet concentration and droplet spectral dispersion. It further suggests that the variability in these parameters present at all scales, due to turbulent mixing and secondary droplet activation, could limit the accuracy of the effective radius parameterizations used in climate models. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1992