What is Altostratus?
A middle cloud type within the B family in the international cloud classification. These clouds consist of water droplets and sometimes ice crystals. In mid-latitudes, the cloud base varies between 15,000 and 20,000 feet. They can range in color from white to gray and bluish. Altostratus clouds can be fibrous or layered and may occasionally form a thick layer that obscures the sun and moon. The halo phenomenon is not observed with this cloud type. It is a good indicator of precipitation or a precursor to a storm. Virga-type clouds fall into this category. They are often formed by variations in low altostratus. They can cause light rain and snowfall. Subtypes of altostratus include opacus, precipitans, and translucidus.
Schedule a Demo Today
A new era is starting with fundamentally new forecasting with unprecedented precision!
Contact UsGlossary
A large, organized thunderstorm with a rotating updraft, often producing severe weather such as tornadoes, hail, and heavy...
The measure of the water vapor or moisture content in the air, expressed as the mass of water vapor per unit volume of air....
A narrow band of strong winds in the upper atmosphere, typically flowing from west to east and influencing weather patterns.
Snow that rises to 8 feet or higher.
A strong wind typically ranging from 34 to 40 knots (39 to 46 miles per hour) and often associated with rough seas and stormy...
The term 'cloudy' refers to weather conditions characterized by a significant amount of cloud cover in the sky. This may...
Conduction is the transfer of heat or electricity through a material without the material itself moving. This occurs when...
A blizzard is a storm that lasts 3 hours or more, with persistent winds/frequent gusts of 35 mph or more along with significant...
A periodic cooling of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, often leading to altered global...
Considerable cloudiness refers to weather conditions where a large portion of the sky is covered with clouds, but some clear...