Fog and Stratus

Tuesday May 6, 2008 05:45 AM

This excellent hi-res satellite image from Monday, May 5th 2008 shows a thick deck of low stratus clouds and fog surrounding Cape Cod. Several very interesting things stand out in this photo. For one, notice how the north to northeast wind was holding the cloud deck in along the Mid-Cape, south of Cape Cod Bay while the rest of the region further from the water began to clear out. As such, morning readings near Chatham bumped into the mid 50s, while places such as Barnstable held in the upper 40s until early afternoon. Second, notice how the land causes a shadowing affect to its south and east, indicative of the strong May sunshine and the wind direction. Lastly, over interior sections, take a second to look at the different cloud formations. These clouds are actually cumulus clouds forming in response to the heating of the day, a very different cloud from the thick stratus found over the marine areas.

Officially, stratus clouds are defined as: A low, generally gray cloud layer with a fairly uniform base. Stratus may appear in the form of ragged patches, but otherwise does not exhibit individual cloud elements as do cumulus and stratocumulus clouds. Fog usually is a surface-based form of stratus.

Image courtesy MODIS