Stratocumulus
2,000 - 6,500 ft (600 - 2,000 m)
“Some days are just cloudy days, and that's perfectly fine”— Unknown
Stratocumulus is the most common cloud type on Earth, yet it rarely gets the recognition it deserves. These clouds form a lumpy, rolling layer across the sky—part stratus, part cumulus, as the name suggests.
Look up on a partly cloudy day and there's a good chance you're seeing stratocumulus: rounded masses or rolls of cloud arranged in groups, lines, or waves. The sky peeks through in gaps between the elements, creating that quintessential "partly cloudy" condition that weather forecasters love.
These clouds form when a layer of air is just unstable enough to form some vertical development, but not unstable enough to grow into full cumulus towers. They're the compromise cloud, the negotiated settlement between grey stratus sheets and puffy cumulus heaps.
things worth knowing
- Stratocumulus covers about 20% of the Earth's surface at any given time
- It's most common over oceans, especially in subtropical regions
- These clouds rarely produce more than light rain or drizzle
- The cellular patterns in stratocumulus can be visible from space
weather wisdom
Partly cloudy conditions, possible light drizzle