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Everyday skies · genus

Stratocumulus

A patchwork ceiling

Stratocumulus cumulogenitus - 20150804 16h39 (10909).jpg
Stratocumulus cumulogenitus - 20150804 16h39 (10909).jpg · Another one of my pictures: This photograph was taken by Medium69 (William Crochot) and released under the license stated below. You are free to use it for any purpose as long as you credit the author (William Crochot), the Source (Wikimedia Commons) and the license (CC-BY-SA 4.0) in close relation to the image. Please do not upload an updated image here without consultation with the Author. The author would like to make corrections only at his own source RAW. This ensures that the changes are preserved.Please if you think that any changes should be required, please inform the author.Otherwise you can upload a new image with a new name. Please use one of the templates derivative or extract. · Original & credit · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Stratocumulus clouds 20072012 (1).JPG
Stratocumulus clouds 20072012 (1).JPG · Joydeep · Original & credit · CC BY-SA 3.0
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2018 Front chłodny w Kotlinie Kłodzkiej 2.jpg
2018 Front chłodny w Kotlinie Kłodzkiej 2.jpg · Jacek Halicki · Original & credit · CC BY 3.0
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ISS034E016601 - Stratocumulus Clouds - Pacific Ocean.jpg
ISS034E016601 - Stratocumulus Clouds - Pacific Ocean.jpg · ISS Expedition 34 Crew Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center Derivative work including grading, lens profile correction and noise removal.: Julian Herzog · Original & credit · Public domain
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Astronaut Photography of Earth - Display Record: ISS034-E-016601

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Swipe or scroll sideways to explore the photographs. Photos may include other cloud types; names and credits come from their source records.

Spot it

Low rolls or rounded clumps joined into broad patches.

How it forms

Shallow mixing shapes a moist layer into lumps.

Read the sky

Often mostly dry, though light precipitation is possible.

Where to look

Look beneath stable air over land or ocean.

Little sky facts

  • Reveal fact 1

    These clouds combine a layered layout with lumpy shapes.

  • Reveal fact 2

    Their undersides often have grey shading.

  • Reveal fact 3

    Gaps can reveal blue sky between clumps.

  • Reveal fact 4

    Dark shading alone does not establish a thunderstorm.

Try this

Follow one row of cloud patches across the sky.

Draw your own cloud ↗

Read a little deeper

WMO International Cloud Atlas

Met Office · formation and weather

Conditions described here are places to look, not a global frequency ranking. Use local weather forecasts and warnings for decisions. Never look directly at the Sun.

Next sky story: Nimbostratus →