Low-lying, gray clouds that form in horizontal layers, often covering the entire sky like a blanket and producing light rain or drizzle. These clouds form when air masses cool gradually without strong vertical movement.
From Latin 'stratus' meaning 'spread out' or 'layered,' part of Luke Howard's 1803 cloud classification system. The term describes the cloud's characteristic flat, sheet-like appearance across the sky.
Stratus clouds are like nature's ceiling - they often form when warm air slides gently over cooler air, creating those gray, overcast days that make everything look mysteriously soft and muted, perfect for mushrooms and moss to thrive in the diffused light!
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