What type of cloud is a stratus cloud?

What are stratus clouds? Stratus clouds are low-level layers with a fairly uniform grey or white colour. Often the scene of dull, overcast days in its ‘nebulosus’ form, they can persist for long periods of time. They are the lowest-lying cloud type and sometimes appear at the surface in the form of mist or fog.

What are the 3 types of stratus clouds?

Stratus clouds have three associated cloud varieties: opacus, translucidus, and undulatus.

What is stratus and cumulus?

Two main classifications of clouds are cumulus and stratus. Cumulus clouds result from air rising due to positive buoyancy (i.e. metaphor: bubbles rising in a pot of water). Stratus clouds results from a forced lifting of air (low level convergence, upper level divergence).

What are the 4 cloud families?

For identification purposes, you need be con- cerned only with the more basic cloud types, which are divided into four “families.” The families are: high clouds, middle clouds, low clouds, and clouds with extensive vertical development.

What means stratus?

Definition of stratus

: a low cloud form extending over a large area at altitudes of usually 2000 to 7000 feet (600 to 2100 meters) — see cloud illustration.

What stratus clouds mean?

More specifically, the term stratus is used to describe flat, hazy, featureless clouds at low altitudes varying in color from dark gray to nearly white. The word stratus comes from the Latin prefix strato-, meaning “layer”. Stratus clouds may produce a light drizzle or a small amount of snow.

What are the 10 clouds called?

The foundation consists of 10 major cloud types. In addition to cirrus, stratus, cumulus, and nimbus clouds, there are cirrostratus, cirrocumulus, altostratus, altocumulus, stratocumulus, nimbostratus, and cumulonimbus clouds.

What are dark clouds called?

Nimbostratus clouds are dark, gray clouds that seem to fade into falling rain or snow. They are so thick that they often blot out the sunlight.

What is a thick cloud called?

Thick, dense stratus or stratocumulus clouds producing steady rain or snow often are referred to as nimbostratus clouds. In contrast to layered, horizontal stratus, cumulus clouds are more cellular (individual) in nature, have flat bottoms and rounded tops, and grow vertically.

How do you identify stratus clouds?

Cloud Shapes 101
  1. Stratus clouds are nondescript, thick, blanket-like clouds that form low in the sky. Think of the last gray, overcast day when it didn’t rain… …
  2. Altostratus clouds are mid-level, gray, blanket-like clouds. …
  3. Cirrostratus clouds are thinner, transparent, and found at high altitudes.

What is the characteristic of stratus clouds?

Stratus clouds are uniform and flat, producing a gray layer of cloud cover which may be precipitation-free or may cause periods of light precipitation or drizzle.

Is fog a stratus cloud?

The only real difference between Fog and Stratus is the different altitude of the cloud base, which for Stratus lies a few hundred meters above ground, whereas in Fog the cloud base descends to ground level.

What are the 10 clouds called?

The foundation consists of 10 major cloud types. In addition to cirrus, stratus, cumulus, and nimbus clouds, there are cirrostratus, cirrocumulus, altostratus, altocumulus, stratocumulus, nimbostratus, and cumulonimbus clouds.

What kind of weather is found with stratus clouds?

Stratus: Thin, gray-white, sheetlike clouds with low bases covering the whole sky. Weather prediction: Fair, but gloomy. They may bring drizzle or snow, but won’t dump too much precipitation because they are so thin.

Do stratus clouds move?

Stratus clouds can blanket the entire sky in a single pattern. They usually occur close to the Earth. Stratus clouds often form at the boundary of a warm front, where warm, moist air is forced up over cold air. This movement produces clouds as the moist air is cooled across the entire front.