A low, lumpy layer of clouds that typically appears near sunset, and are the spreading remains of much larger cumulus clouds. They range in color from dark to light grey and can appear in rows, patches, or as rounded masses with breaks of clear sky in between.
Rain or snow rarely fall from these clouds and they are different from altocumulus clouds since their individual elements are larger than those of their altocumulus counterparts.
You can easily decifer the difference between the two cloud types by holding your hand at arm's length and pointing it towards the sky. Altocumulus elements are about the size of your thumb nail, while stratocumulus are about the size of your fist.
