These clouds often dissipate at night because they are most susceptible to sinking when the air currents cool. The other lower altitude clouds are stratus, and stratocumulus. Stratocumulus are rather ominous looking clouds, usually covering the entire sky with a patchwork effect. Each individual cloud covers the area of an outstretched fist. These clouds may produce a bit of drizzle but are rarely associated with serious precipitation.
Stratus clouds are a very low dark uniform gray color.
It is a solid blanket of cloud, but it too usually only produces local drizzle. Middle altitude clouds are found between 10,000 and 20,000 feet. These are the altostratus, altocumulus and nimbostratus clouds. The latter appears as a uniform cloud cover where the sun or moon shine weakly through. They may produce local rain or snow showers.