Stratus

From Cumulopedia

Stratus
Abbreviation	St
Family	C
Type	Stratus
Occurrence	Worldwide
Altitude	0-1950m
Formation	lifting of a large air mass followed by condensation
Precipitation	Drizzle or slight rain or snow
Potential Hazards	Can mask terrain

Stratus clouds form in sheets and occur when large areas of moist air rise, usually due to an incoming frontal system, wind encountering a large land mass, or the lifting of fog (which is, itself, a stratus cloud). Stratus is the lowest-altitude cloud formation and has a ragged gray appearance. Stratus can cover hundreds of square kilometres but is usually thinner than 450 metres. It is the typical "cloudy day" formation-a sheet of cloud occluding the entire sky. Precipitation from stratus clouds is uncommon though possible in small quantities.

[edit] Subtypes

Fog

Hail fog

Orographic stratus

Stratus fractus

Fractonimbus

Stratus lenticularis

Stratus nebulosus

Stratus opacus

Stratus praecipitatio

Stratus translucidus

Stratus undulatus

Index of Cloud Types Clouds
High Clouds (Family A):	Cirrus (Ci) • Cirrus intortus • Cirrus radiatus • Cirrus uncinus • Cirrus Kelvin-Helmholtz • Cirrostratus (Cs) • Cirrocumulus (Cc) • Pileus • Contrail
Middle Clouds (Family B):	Altostratus (As) • Altostratus undulatus • Altocumulus (Ac) • Altocumulus undulatus • Altocumulus mackerel sky • Altocumulus castellanus • Altocumulus lenticularis
Low Clouds (Family C):	Stratus (St) • Orographic stratus • Fog • Nimbostratus (Ns) • Cumulus humilis (Cu) • Cumulus mediocris (Cu) • Stratocumulus (Sc)
Vertical Clouds (Family D):	Cumulonimbus (Cb) • Cumulonimbus incus • Cumulonimbus calvus • Cumulonimbus with mammatus • Cumulus congestus • Cumulus castellanus • Pyrocumulus  • Pyrocumulonimbus