What are low clouds primarily composed of?

Low clouds are primarily composed of water in the form of tiny water droplets. These clouds typically form at altitudes below about 6,500 feet and include types such as stratus, stratocumulus, and nimbostratus. The presence of water droplets in low clouds is due to the cooling of air, which leads to condensation when moisture in the air reaches the dew point. Since the temperatures in these low-level clouds are usually above freezing, the droplets remain in liquid form, which is why water is the main constituent.

While ice and snow can be found in other types of clouds or under certain conditions, they do not characterize low-stage cloud formations. Ice is more commonly associated with higher-altitude clouds or colder weather conditions, while snow may result from precipitation processes but does not make up the structure of low clouds. Supercooled water refers to water droplets that remain liquid even below freezing temperatures, but this phenomenon is not the primary composition of low clouds, as these clouds predominantly consist of plain water droplets.