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 condition in which the stratification of the atmosphere depends on both air temperature and pressure, and where surfaces...
A bomb cyclone is a large mid-latitude storm that forms when a storm’s central pressure drops (i.e. “bombs out”), resulting...
The term used for semi-stationary high-pressure centers such as the Azores and North Pacific Highs, which occur in the narrow...
A thick cloud of tiny water droplets suspended in the atmosphere near the Earth's surface, significantly reducing visibility.
The measure of the water vapor or moisture content in the air, expressed as the mass of water vapor per unit volume of air....
Jet streams are strong, fast-flowing air currents in the upper levels of the atmosphere. They form when warm air masses meet...
A strong wind typically ranging from 34 to 40 knots (39 to 46 miles per hour) and often associated with rough seas and stormy...
Anticyclones are areas of high atmospheric pressure that bring hot, dry weather in the summer and cold fronts in the winter.
A prefix used in cloud nomenclature to describe middle-altitude clouds that form between 6,500 and 20,000 feet, such as altostratus...
A tropical cyclone with sustained winds of at least 74 miles per hour, characterized by a central eye, strong winds, and...