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 does a stratus look like?
Stratus clouds look like flat sheets of clouds. These clouds can mean an overcast day or steady rain. They may stay in one place for several days.
What is the description of 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 is an example of a stratus cloud?
Fog is a stratus cloud in contact with the ground. Fog is common in valleys on winter mornings, due to nocturnal raditional cooling and drainage flow.
What is the shape of a stratus cloud?
Different shapes Stratus (St) clouds, are widely extended horizontal sheets in the lower elevations, and are generally grey. They seem to cover the sky in a uniform manner at various levels. The thickness of the stratus cloud can vary from 15 to 800 km.
How do you identify stratus clouds?
Stratus clouds are uniform grayish clouds that often cover the sky. Usually no precipitation falls from stratus clouds, but they may drizzle. When a thick fog “lifts,” the resulting clouds are low stratus.
How stratus clouds are formed?
Stratus clouds, in addition to being formed by radiative cooling of a moist clear layer, can be formed by lifting of moist air masses in regions adjacent to fronts or over orography, and by warm advection of a moist layer over a cold surface.
Why are they called stratus clouds?
The word stratus comes from the Latin prefix strato-, meaning “layer”. Stratus clouds may produce a light drizzle or a small amount of snow. These clouds are essentially above-ground fog formed either through the lifting of morning fog or through cold air moving at low altitudes over a region.
Are stratus clouds high or low?
low
stratus clouds are those clouds that resemble a sheet across the atmosphere. These clouds typically rest at a low altitude, found below 6,000 ft. (2,000 m.). Their color can vary between white to dark gray.
How is stratus clouds formed?
Where are stratus clouds located?
Stratus clouds are the lowest type found in the troposphere; they are often found at ground level as fog or mist. Displaying a dull gray appearance, they rarely produce any precipitation.
How is stratus formed?
Where do stratus clouds occur?
stratus clouds are those clouds that resemble a sheet across the atmosphere. These clouds typically rest at a low altitude, found below 6,000 ft.