Commercial Ground – Weather Practice Exam

When stable, moist air is forced to ascend a mountain slope, it cools and condenses as it rises, leading to the formation of stratus clouds. Stratus clouds typically develop in stable atmospheric conditions, where vertical motion is limited, resulting in layered, overcast sky appearances with minimal vertical development.

As the moist air rises gently and uniformly, it creates a cloud deck that often appears as a flat, uniform layer, characteristic of stratus clouds. This cloud type can lead to steady precipitation or mist rather than intense storms or turbulence. In more unstable conditions, other cloud types with significant vertical development, such as cumulus or cumulonimbus clouds, would form, but in this situation, the stability and moisture lead specifically to stratus cloud formation.

Thus, the characteristics of stratus clouds align perfectly with the scenario described, making this the correct answer.

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