Stratocumulus castellanus cloud

Stratocumulus castellanus or Stratocumulus castellatus^[1] is a type of stratocumulus cloud, castellanus is derived from Latin, meaning 'of a castle' This type of cloud appears as cumuliform turrets vertically rising from a common horizontal cloud base, these turrets are taller than they are wide^[2]

Stratocumulus castellanus
Stratocumulus castellanus, with various turrets of very small size and one of a larger size
Abbreviation	Sc cas
Symbol
Genus	Stratocumulus
Species	Castellanus
Altitude	Above 2,000 m (Above 6,560 ft)
Appearance	small turrets
Precipitation	Virga, and sometimes light rain

This type of cloud indicates an increasingly unstable atmosphere,^[3] and seeing this type of cloud in the morning usually means that there is a possibility of thunderstorms forming later in the afternoon^[4] In the right conditions, these clouds can grow into cumulus congestus clouds, and sometimes, into cumulonimbus clouds^[5]

References

1. "Appendix 3 - History of cloud nomenclature".
2. "Stratocumulus castellanus (Sc cas) | International Cloud Atlas". 2021-09-19. Archived from the original on 2021-09-19. Retrieved 2021-11-02.
3. World Meteorological Organization (1975). Manual on the observation of clouds and other meteors. Internet Archive. Geneva : Secretariat of the World Meteorological Organization. ISBN 978-92-63-10407-6.
4. "Castellanus Clouds: Rising Towers, Turrets | WhatsThisCloud". 2021-11-02. Archived from the original on 2021-11-02. Retrieved 2021-11-02.
5. "Stratocumulus castellanus (Sc cas) | International Cloud Atlas". 2021-09-19. Archived from the original on 2021-09-19. Retrieved 2021-11-02.