Stratus
0 - 6,500 ft (0 - 2,000 m)
“The fog comes on little cat feet”— Carl Sandburg
Stratus is the cloud of grey days, the low-hanging blanket that sits over cities and landscapes like a lid on a pot. It's fog that's risen off the ground, or fog that never quite made it down—depending on your perspective.
Unlike the dramatic vertical development of cumulus or the wispy elegance of cirrus, stratus is resolutely horizontal. It forms in layers (the name comes from the Latin for "spread out"), often covering the entire sky in a uniform grey that can persist for days.
While not the most visually inspiring cloud, stratus has its moments. At dawn and dusk, that grey veil can catch the light and transform into subtle shades of pink, peach, and lavender. And there's something peaceful about a stratus day—the world feels quieter, softer, more introspective.
things worth knowing
- Stratus is essentially fog that doesn't touch the ground
- It produces only light drizzle or mist, never heavy rain
- This cloud type is responsible for the famous "marine layer" in coastal cities
- Stratus can form overnight as the ground cools and lifts fog into a cloud layer
weather wisdom
Grey skies, possible drizzle, reduced visibility