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.
Glossary
The formation of fog when warm and moist air passes over a cool or cold surface or, conversely, when cold air passes over...
A cold core low is a low-pressure system where the coldest temperatures are found near the center. These systems are often...
Condensation is the process by which water vapor in the air cools and changes into liquid water. This process is crucial...
A periodic cooling of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, often leading to altered global...
A sudden and rapid flow of snow masses accumulated on the slopes of mountainous areas under the influence of gravity or a...
A cold front is the leading edge of a cold air mass that replaces a warmer air mass. It is typically associated with sudden...
A large body of air having similar horizontal temperature and moisture characteristics.
The decrease in temperature with height in an adiabatically rising air parcel (lapse rate). For dry air, this value is 1...
Air laden with sand and dust, common in areas devoid of permanent vegetation, especially deserts.
Temperature scale, abbreviated as °C, found by accepting the freezing point of water at one atmospheric pressure as zero...
Schedule a Demo Today
A new era is starting with fundamentally new forecasting with unprecedented precision!
Contact Us