Which conditions are associated with Stratus (ST) regarding icing?

Stratus clouds are typically associated with stable atmospheric conditions, often leading to temperature inversions where warmer air traps colder air at lower altitudes. This situation can create conditions conducive to rime icing, where supercooled water droplets freeze upon contact with a surface, forming a rough, white ice. Rime ice is particularly common in these scenarios because the droplets can exist in liquid form even at temperatures below freezing, especially when mixed with a stable stratification of air.

The conditions of an inversion are significant because they mean that the colder air is near the ground and the warmer air is above, leading to persistent low clouds typically characterized by stratus formations. When these clouds are present in winter or colder seasons, the likelihood of encountering rime ice increases due to the presence of supercooled droplets in the stratus layer.

While stable atmospheres are generally less unpredictable and turbulent, they don't eliminate the potential for icing as long as supercooled moisture is present, which is effectively described by the choice regarding inversion leading to rime ice. Thus, the connection between stratus clouds, inversion layers, and the formation of rime ice illustrates why this choice is the most accurate representation of icing conditions associated with stratus.