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Stratus means layer or blanket in Latin. A stratus cloud
Stratus cloud

Stratus means layer or blanket in Latin. A stratus cloud is a cloud belonging to a class characterized by horizontal layering with a uniform base, as opposed to convective clouds that are as tall or taller than wide ....
 (St) is a cloud
Cloud

A cloud is a visible mass of Drop or frozen crystals floating in the Celestial body atmosphere above the surface of the Earth or another planetary body....
 belonging to a class characterized by horizontal layering with a uniform base, as opposed to convective clouds that are as tall or taller than wide (these are termed cumulus cloud
Cumulus cloud

Cumulus clouds are a type of cloud with noticeable vertical development and clearly defined edges. Cumulus means "heap" or "pile" in Latin. These are often described as "puffy" or "cotton-like" in appearance, cumulus clouds may appear alone, in lines, or in clusters....
s). More specifically, the term stratus is used to describe flat, featureless clouds of low altitude varying in color from dark gray to nearly white.






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Stratus means layer or blanket in Latin. A stratus cloud
Stratus cloud

Stratus means layer or blanket in Latin. A stratus cloud is a cloud belonging to a class characterized by horizontal layering with a uniform base, as opposed to convective clouds that are as tall or taller than wide ....
 (St) is a cloud
Cloud

A cloud is a visible mass of Drop or frozen crystals floating in the Celestial body atmosphere above the surface of the Earth or another planetary body....
 belonging to a class characterized by horizontal layering with a uniform base, as opposed to convective clouds that are as tall or taller than wide (these are termed cumulus cloud
Cumulus cloud

Cumulus clouds are a type of cloud with noticeable vertical development and clearly defined edges. Cumulus means "heap" or "pile" in Latin. These are often described as "puffy" or "cotton-like" in appearance, cumulus clouds may appear alone, in lines, or in clusters....
s). More specifically, the term stratus is used to describe flat, featureless clouds of low altitude varying in color from dark gray to nearly white. A "cloudy day" usually features a sky filled with stratus clouds obscuring the disk of the sun
Sun

The Sun , a G V star, is the star at the center of the Solar System. The Earth and other matter orbit the Sun, which by itself accounts for about 98.6% of the Solar System's mass....
. These clouds are essentially above-ground fog formed either through the lifting of morning fog or when cold air moves at low altitudes over a region. These clouds do not usually bring heavy precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)

File:MeanMonthlyP.gifIn meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of Atmosphere water vapor that is deposited on the earth's surface....
, although drizzle
Drizzle

Drizzle is light precipitation consisting of liquid water drops smaller than those of rain, and generally smaller than 0.5 mm in diameter. Drizzle is normally produced by low Stratus cloud clouds and Stratocumulus_cloud clouds....
 and snow
Snow

Snow is a type of precipitation in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. The process of this precipitation is called snowfall....
 may occur.

Variations

Stratus formations that are accompanied by precipitation are known as nimbostratus
Nimbostratus cloud

A Nimbostratus cloud is characterized by a formless cloud layer that is almost uniformly dark gray. "Nimbo" is from the Latin word "nimbus", meaning rain....
. Stratus formations at higher altitudes include altostratus
Altostratus cloud

Altostratus is a cloud belonging to a class characterized by a generally uniform gray sheet or layer, lighter in color than nimbostratus cloud and darker than Cirrostratus cloud....
 and cirrostratus
Cirrostratus cloud

Cirrostratus clouds are thin, generally uniform clouds, composed of ice-crystals, capable of forming Halo s. They are usually located above 18000 feet....
. Cirrostratus clouds are sheet-like and composed of ice crystals. Though they can be several thousand feet thick and cover the entire sky, they are relatively transparent and the sun and moon are sometimes visible through them. One characteristic is that the sun and moon have a halo around them because of light refraction on the ice crystals.