Upper tropospheric humidity (UTH) and cloud ice (measured as ice water content IWC or vertically integrated ice water path IWP) are parameters of the climate system on which current global climate models do not agree well. This is illustrated by intercomparing the models in the IPCC AR4 archive. It is then discussed, to what extent different satellite measurements agree on these parameters. The focus is on passive observations from different infrared (HIRS, IASI) and microwave (AMSU-B, HSB) sensors.