 Nimbostratus (Ns) 
Nimbostratus are very common clouds in temperate latitudes, forming a dense and extremely extensive grey layer at low altitude. They are thick, dark, amorphous and solid in appearance, often associated with more or less continuous rainfall which makes the cloud base soft and diffuse. Frequently they have ragged edges and small cloud fragments, called scud, developing beneath the main nimbus cloud from recondensation of water saturated air. The Sun is always obscured. Nimbostratus clouds produce dull and gloomy wet days. Precipitation of snow or rain is prolonged and widespread, although not usually heavy and individual small areas may not be producing precipitation at any one moment. |
Nimbostratus (Ns) - the name derives from the Latin nimbus = rain, and
stratus = spread out. Nimbostratus is a member of the ten fundamental cloud
types (or cloud genera). Although it is classed as a middle-level layer
cloud, its base is generally low at 0 to 2 km (0 to 6,500 ft), often very
close or even touching the ground. Nimbostratus are also classified as
clouds of extreme vertical development.