| Stratocumulus castellanus | |
| Image Location: | File:Stratocumulus castellanus 3oct.jpg |
| Image Name: | Stratocumulus castellanus, with various turrets of very small size and one of a larger size |
| Abbreviation: | Sc cas |
| Symbol: | Stratocumulus.svg |
| Genus: | Stratocumulus |
| Species: | Castellanus |
| Altitude M: | Above 2,000 |
| Altitude Ft: | Above 6,560 |
| Level: | mid-level |
| Appearance: | small turrets |
| Precipitation: | Virga, and sometimes light rain |
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]
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]