What does a nimbostratus cloud indicate?
Thick, dense stratus or stratocumulus clouds producing steady rain or snow often are referred to as nimbostratus clouds.
What is a nimbostratus cloud made of?
At elevations above the freezing level, nimbostratus is largely composed of ice crystals and snowflakes, though embedded thin (supercooled) droplet cloud layers similar to altocumulus clouds are relatively common.
What is the difference between nimbostratus and cumulonimbus clouds?
Nimbostratus, unlike cumulonimbus, is not associated with thunderstorms, however at an unusually unstable warm front caused as a result of the advancing warm air being hot, humid and unstable, cumulonimbus clouds may be embedded within the usual nimbostratus.
Are nimbostratus clouds low or high?
Nimbostratus are dark, low-level clouds accompanied by light to moderately falling precipitation. Low clouds are primarily composed of water droplets since their bases generally lie below 6,500 feet (2,000 meters). However, when temperatures are cold enough, these clouds may also contain ice particles and snow.
What is the difference between nimbostratus and stratus clouds?
Stratus vs. But nimbostratus clouds are precipitating (snow, mist, drizzle, or light rain), while stratus is not. Thus, nimbostratus clouds often have diffuse (washed out) cloud bases, while stratus clouds often have well defined cloud bases.
Do nimbostratus clouds produce thunderstorms?
A nimbostratus cloud is a multi-level amorphous nearly uniform and often dark grey cloud that usually produces continuous rain snow or sleet but no lightning or thunder.
Why are nimbostratus clouds so dark?
Nimbus clouds get their intimidating look from the scattering of sunlight at their upper reaches and margins, and the absorption of sunlight by large water droplets, Again, those larger droplets absorb more sunlight, so a darkening cloud may indicate one in which water droplets are getting heavy enough to begin falling …
What does a nimbostratus look like?
Nimbostratus clouds are dark gray and thick enough to hide the sun completely. Unlike some other clouds, they don't come in different shapes. You can't look up at a nimbostratus cloud and guess what the shape of the cloud looks like – it just looks flat and gray, like a big cloud blanket over the whole sky.
How is a nimbostratus cloud different from a stratus cloud?
Both nimbostratus and stratus clouds can be found at the same height, are both relatively featureless, and are both the same light gray to dark gray color. The biggest differentiator is that nimbostratus clouds contain rain, whereas stratus clouds only contain rain on the rarest of occasions.
What is the shape of nimbostratus?
Nimbostratus clouds are dark gray and thick enough to hide the sun completely. Unlike some other clouds, they don't come in different shapes. You can't look up at a nimbostratus cloud and guess what the shape of the cloud looks like – it just looks flat and gray, like a big cloud blanket over the whole sky.
Can hail come from nimbostratus clouds?
Cumulonimbus clouds and nimbostratus clouds can also can produce snow, hail, sleet, and other forms of precipitation.
What does nimbostratus look like?
Nimbostratus clouds are dark gray and thick enough to hide the sun completely. Unlike some other clouds, they don't come in different shapes. You can't look up at a nimbostratus cloud and guess what the shape of the cloud looks like – it just looks flat and gray, like a big cloud blanket over the whole sky.