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 measure of how hot it feels when relative humidity is combined with the actual air temperature, often referred to as the...
An elongated area of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with unsettled weather conditions like storms...
Jet streams are strong, fast-flowing air currents in the upper levels of the atmosphere. They form when warm air masses meet...
A distinct layer in a body of water where the temperature changes rapidly with depth, separating warmer surface water from...
A type of low-altitude cloud that forms in uniform layers, often covering the entire sky and producing overcast conditions.
The term used for turbulence occurring in the absence of clouds or cloud-like elements in the visible area. It is often observed...
Any form of water - liquid or solid - that falls from the atmosphere to the Earth's surface, including rain, snow, sleet,...
The amount of radiation, heat, or light passing through or flowing from a unit area of a surface.
A measurement determined by the wave lengths and sea conditions caused by the effect of wind, and by the movement of tree...