| Nimbostratus cloud | |
|---|---|
 Nimbostratus with pannus | |
| Abbreviation | Ns |
| Symbol |  |
| Genus | Nimbostratus (rain, layered) |
| Altitude | 500–5,500 m (2,000–18,000 ft) |
| Appearance | Dark and featureless layer cloud full of water vapor; responsible for rain and snow |
| Precipitation | Yes: rain, ice pellets, or snow; sometimes virga |
A nimbostratus cloud is a multilevel, amorphous, nearly uniform, and often dark-grey cloud that usually produces continuous rain, snow, or sleet, but no lightning or thunder.[1][2][3]
Although it is usually a low-based stratiform cloud, it actually forms most commonly in the middle level of the troposphere and then spreads vertically into the low and high levels. Nimbostratus usually produces precipitation over a wide area.
The prefix nimbo- comes from the Latin word nimbus, which denotes "dark cloud".
Downward-growing nimbostratus can have the same vertical extent as most large upward-growing cumulus, but its horizontal expanse tends to be even greater.
- ^ "cloud". Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. Columbia University Press – via The Free Dictionary.
- ^ "nimbostratus". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed.). HarperCollins.
- ^ Nimbostratus in the Oxford Dictionaries Online.