The attenuation at X band caused by the melting layer of stratiform precipitation is derived by comparing long-term average reflectivity profiles from collocated X-band and UHF vertically pointing radars. The total attenuation caused by the bright band is equivalent to the attenuation across approximately 10 km of rain that is present below it. This bright band attenuation is still 3--5 times the rain equivalent attenuation, the latter being obtained by integrating the specific attenuation deduced from the entire reflectivity profile across the bright band as if the reflectivity were due to rain. This suggests that in most stratiform rain cases, the total attenuation due to the melting layer exceeds that of the rain below it.¿ 1997 American Geophysical Union