Clouds of the Day - Nimbostratus - The Rainmaker - Sunday, September 10, 2023

Nimbostratus

This is the definition of a dreary day - a low gray overcast with a drippy sky. But one person’s dreary day is another’s perfect day. Our precipitation has been below normal this year with the precipitation being 11 inches below normal, which is about 2/3rds of what we normally have for the year.

The cloud type is Nimbostratus, a thick layer cloud in the stratus family. The cloud base may range from a few hundred feet above the ground to about 15,000 feet. Nimbostratus that thick develop in a broad deep layer of rising motion with abundant moisture in the air. When rain persists for hours in a moist atmosphere the cloud base lowers as the relative humidity rises due to the evaporation of raindrops. It does not take long for everything to be thoroughly soaked. Nimbostratus produce steady light to moderate rain without lightning and thunder.