(St)
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Height of base: |
below 2000 m
(6500 ft), even at ground, fog, mist (low-level clouds) |
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Description: |
Grey,
featureless; Diffuse edges |
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Occurrence: |
World-wide; most common
in coastal and mountain areas |
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Made of: |
water droplets |
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Precipitation: |
None; possible
light drizzle or graupel |
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Formation: |
Slow lifting of
large layer |
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Species: |
Nebulosus,
fractus |
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Varieties: |
Opacus, translucidus,
undulatus |
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How to
distinguish from … |
Cirrostratus (Cs) |
Cs is higher and
brighter; if translucidus, Cs forms halos or parahelia |
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Altostratus (As) |
Hard to
distinguish; As is higher than St; if translucidus sun appears less diffuse through
St; sun has speckled appearance through As |
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Nimbostratus (Nb) |
Nb has a ragged
base and precipitation |
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Stratus opacus (Morris, November 2006) |
Stratus fractus opacus (Morris, November 2006) |
Stratus nebulosus translucidus (Morris, January 2007) |
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Stratus nebulosus translucidus Morris, March 07 |
Stratus with virga Morris, May07 |
Orographic stratus opacus, evaporation fog on lake |
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Last
modified: 1/14/2008
Maintained
by Sylke Boyd