stratocumulus+tlarkin+sboddington

A **stratocumulus** [|cloud] belongs to a class of clouds characterized by large dark, rounded masses, usually in groups, lines, or waves, the individual elements being larger than those in [|altocumuli], and the whole being at a lower altitude, usually below 2,400 m (8,000 ft). Weak [|convective] [|currents] create shallow cloud layers because of drier, stable air above preventing continued vertical development.
 * **Abbreviation** || Sc ||
 * **Symbol** ||  ||
 * **[|Genus]** || Family C (low) ||
 * **Altitude** || Usually below 2,400 m(8,000 ft) ||
 * **[|Classification]** || Family C (Low-level) ||
 * **Appearance** || Much like [|Cumulus clouds], except all lumped together and bigger. ||
 * **[|Precipitation cloud?]** || Yes, however, never intense. May indicate a coming storm. ||

Stratocumulus lenticularis clouds in [|Jackson, WY]

Stratocumulus clouds are divided into two primary varieties: **Stratocumulus undulatus** (wavy) and **Stratocumulus cumuliformis** (cumulus-like).
 * Stratocumulus undulatus** clouds appear as nearly parallel waves, rolls or separate elongated clouds, without significant vertical development. They are usually classified by sky coverage.
 * Stratocumulus opacus** is a dark layer of clouds covering entire sky without any break. However, the cloud sheet is not completely uniform, so that separate cloud bases still can be seen. If the cloud layer becomes grayer to the point when individual clouds can’t be distinguished, stratocumulus turns into [|altocumulus].
 * Stratocumulus perlucidus** is a layer of stratocumulus clouds with small spaces, appearing in irregular pattern, through which clear sky or higher clouds can be seen.
 * Stratocumulus translucidus** consist of separate groups of stratocumulus clouds, with a clear sky (or higher clouds) visible between them. No precipitation in most cases.
 * Stratocumulus lenticularis** are separate flat elongated seed-shaped clouds. They are typical for polar countries or warmer climate during winter seasons. They also can be formed by winds passing hills or mountains, such as [|Foehn winds], and in this case they can be very regularly shaped.
 * Stratocumulus fractus** are fragmented strands of stratocumulus often seen between larger stratocumuli in a perculidus sheet They are also seen when a layer of stratocumulus is breaking up.

[[|edit]] Stratocumulus cumuliformis
Stratocumulus cumulifomis clouds resemble cumulus clouds, because of significant vertical development. This type of clouds is classified by shape.
 * Stratocumulus castellanus** are distinct by puffy tower-like formations atop the atmosphere. They look like [|cumulus castellanus], but can be easily confused: "towers" of [|cumulus castellanus] grow above separate clouds, whereas in case of stratocumulus castellanus there is always more or less defined layer of clouds. Stratocumulus castellanus may develop into [|cumulus congestus] (and even further into [|cumulonimbus]) under auspicious conditions.
 * Stratocumulus mammatus** are a type of [|mammatus clouds].
 * Stratocumulus vesperalis** the specific type of stratocumulus clouds, are flat and elongated. They form in the evening, when updrafts caused by convection decrease making [|cumulus clouds] lose vertical development and spread horizontally.
 * Stratocumulus diurnalis** are formed at lower altitudes (unlike stratocumulus vesperalis) out of [|cumulus] or [|cumulonimbus] clouds, disrupted by decreasing convection. During formation period, puffy tops of cumulus clouds can protrude from stratocumulus diurnalis for a relatively long time until they completely spread in horizontal direction. Stratocumulus diurnalis appear as lengthy sheet or as group of separate elongated cloud rolls or waves.[[image:stratocumulus.jpg width="800" height="600" caption="stratocumulus cloud" link="http://weather.ou.edu/~smglenn/stratocumulus.jpeg"]]