While on a flight from Seattle to Portland, we flew closely above a stratocumulus cloud deck. Upon landing in Portland, I could then look up at these patchy, lumpy clouds. Stratus means layer and cumulus means heap so it’s no surprise this name is given to the group of clouds that typically form in patches with the individual clouds low enough to the surface that they appear larger than the altocumulus clouds, but still have some vertical growth. You can clearly see these features in these above and below views!
Angela Rowe
Location: Flight to Portland, Oregon from Seattle, Washington
Date: February 2014
Community Cloud Atlas 