Table of Contents
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.
What do stratus clouds tell us?
Stratus clouds always mean either rain or snow. Sometimes the precipitation is a light mist or drizzle.
What weather does a stratus cloud bring?
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.
Why are stratus clouds important?
Both are typically very thin clouds that can extend horizontally for large distances. Stratocumulus frequently produce light precipitation often in the form of drizzle. Because they strongly reflect solar radiation, stratus and stratocumulus exert an important impact on climate.
What is an interesting fact about stratus clouds?
Stratus Cloud Facts Stratus clouds have flat layers and uniform bases, with no visible clumps or lumps. They produce light precipitation in terms of drizzle and snow. They accompany foggy weather conditions. Stratus clouds can last for about 6 to 12 hours in the atmosphere.
What does stratus mean in Latin?
Stratus. From the Latin stratus, past participle of the verb sternere, which means to extend, to spread out, to flatten out, to cover with a layer.
Can stratus clouds produce tornadoes?
These clouds look like a gigantic tidal wave rolling across the sky. While roll clouds are not known to produce tornadoes, they do form along the leading edge or outflow boundary of some thunderstorms, and they sometimes precede dangerous storms like Derechos.
Do stratus clouds produce snow?
Stratus cloud often look like thin, white sheets covering the whole sky. Since they are so thin, they seldom produce much rain or snow. Sometimes, in the mountains or hills, these clouds appear to be fog. Cumulonimbus clouds grow on hot days when warm, wet air rises very high into the sky.
Do stratus clouds produce thunderstorms?
Many different cloud types can be created in this way: altocumulus, altostratus, cirrocumulus, cirrostratus, cirrus, cumulonimbus (and associated mammatus clouds), nimbostratus, stratus, and stratocumulus. They often grow into cumulonimbus clouds, which produce thunderstorms.
Do stratus clouds bear rain?
Do stratus clouds bear rain? Stratus clouds are associated with foggy weather conditions. They are thick enough to accommodate only little light, thus producing a dark effect and little rainfall. Instead of rainfall, they produce light snow.
Are nimbus clouds high or low?
Nimbostratus are dark, low-level clouds accompanied by light to moderately falling precipitation. Low clouds are primarily composed of water droplets since their bases generally lie below 6,500 feet (2,000 meters). However, when temperatures are cold enough, these clouds may also contain ice particles and snow.
Is fog a stratus cloud?
The definition of each has been formulated as follows: Stratus is used to describe flat, featureless clouds of low altitude, typically less than 300 metres. On the other hand, fog is a stratus cloud in contact with the ground. Horizontal visibility in fog is less than 1 km.
What do you call the stratus clouds near the ground?
The stratus clouds, when formed near the ground, is known as fog.
What is stratus clouds for kids?
Stratus clouds are flat clouds that form in low altitudes. Fog is a form of stratus cloud that is close to the Earth’s surface. Stratus clouds form when warm air with moisture lifts up into the Earth’s atmosphere. Often, these types of clouds signal gray, drizzly days with not much sunshine.
Why is it foggy or hazy when there are stratus clouds?
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. Some call these clouds “high fog” for their fog-like form. While light rain may fall, this cloud does not indicate much meteorological precipitation.
Can cumulus clouds produce rain?
Most forms of heavy precipitation fall from cumulus clouds. The weather they bring depends on their height and size. The higher the base of a cloud is, the drier the atmosphere and the fairer the weather will be. Clouds located close to the ground mean heavy snow or rain.
What does nimbus mean in clouds?
Definition of nimbus 1a : a luminous vapor, cloud, or atmosphere about a god or goddess when on earth. b : a cloud or atmosphere (as of romance) about a person or thing. 2 : an indication (such as a circle) of radiant light or glory about the head of a drawn or sculptured divinity, saint, or sovereign. 3a : a rain.
What are the three groups of clouds called?
This splits clouds into three main types – stratus, cumulus and cirrus.Names for clouds Stratus/strato: flat/layered and smooth. Cumulus/cumulo: heaped up/puffy, like cauliflower. Cirrus/cirro: high up/wispy. Alto: medium level. Nimbus/Nimbo: rain-bearing cloud.
What does the name nimbus mean?
In Latin, nimbus simply means “cloud,” possibly connected to nebula, “mist, vapor, or fog.”.
How fast do stratus clouds move?
How fast do stratus clouds move? When the wind is blowing up where they are, they can move at 30 to 40 miles per hour. Stratus clouds always mean either rain or snow. Sometimes the precipitation is a light mist or drizzle.
Do scud clouds rotate?
Rotation. Scud clouds will often move at a faster rate or a different direction than the main storm cloud, but this movement shouldn’t be confused as rotation. If, however, the cloud is rotating, then a tornado is possible.
What is an upside down tornado called?
A rare type of funnel cloud known in the weather community as a horseshoe vortex, is a short-lived standalone funnel cloud that often looks like a moustache or upside-down U.
