Weather Glossary

A fixed potential temperature line on adiabats, or the process of thermodynamic changes within a system without any exchange...

Thermodynamic changes occurring within a system without any exchange of heat with the surroundings. In the atmosphere, changes...

The decrease in temperature with height in an adiabatically rising air parcel (lapse rate). For dry air, this value is 1...

The expected rate of temperature decrease in an adiabatically rising air parcel when there is no heat exchange with the environment....

A thermodynamic change process in the system without any exchange of heat or transfer of energy between systems. This process...

The horizontal transport of any feature within the atmosphere due to the movement of air (wind). This includes phenomena...

The formation of fog when warm and moist air passes over a cool or cold surface or, conversely, when cold air passes over...

The occurrence of storms resulting from the horizontal advection of cold air at high levels or the horizontal advection of...

Particles such as pollen, grass seeds, or dust in the air that cause allergies and are transported by winds.

The reflectance rate of a surface, indicating the amount of electromagnetic radiation reflected from the surface. It depends...

A middle cloud type within the B family in the international cloud classification. These are shaded clouds that can be white...

A middle cloud type within the B family in the international cloud classification. These clouds consist of water droplets...

Local winds that blow from slopes to peaks as a result of the heating of the top slopes without being affected by general...

An instrument used to measure the speed, force, and sometimes the direction of the wind. It can be cup or pressure tube anemometers....

Anticyclones are areas of high atmospheric pressure that bring hot, dry weather in the summer and cold fronts in the winter.

An anvil is a cloud mostly composed of ice particles. Otherwise known as a cumulonimbus cloud, an anvil has reached the stratospheric...

Ball lightning appears during thunderstorms, taking the shape of glowing, electric orbs in the sky. It can appear in a variety...

A blizzard is a storm that lasts 3 hours or more, with persistent winds/frequent gusts of 35 mph or more along with significant...

A bomb cyclone is a large mid-latitude storm that forms when a storm’s central pressure drops (i.e. “bombs out”), resulting...

The names given to the winds blowing from the four cardinal directions (north, east, south, and west - N, E, S, W) on a compass.

Observation of the sky from the observer's location where there are no clouds, and there is no obstruction to visibility....

The term used for turbulence occurring in the absence of clouds or cloud-like elements in the visible area. It is often observed...

Bright and dark rays with changing colors and contrast in the sky. These rays become visible due to the reflection of atmospheric...

Indicates the amount of water the soil can absorb/retain through percolation. This capacity is around 7% in sandy soil and...

The amount of radiation, heat, or light passing through or flowing from a unit area of a surface.

Frozen drizzle is a dangerous type of frozen rain. It’s a light rain that falls in very fine drops, which freezes on contact...

Jet streams are strong, fast-flowing air currents in the upper levels of the atmosphere. They form when warm air masses meet...

Perhaps you have come across them, maybe you are seeing them for the first time. These clouds, known as wave clouds, resemble...

A term used to identify clouds with a base height below 6,000 feet in the observer's direction. Stratiform clouds consist...

A low-pressure area with converging winds, rotating counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern...

In a severe storm, with a swirling motion in its left rear quadrant, a vertically rotating column of air, often seen with...

Nimbostratus clouds are thick, dark, gray clouds associated with rainy and gloomy days that block the Sun. These clouds,...

Nor'easter is a meteorological event commonly observed in the Northeastern United States and typically occurs during...

A polar vortex is a circulating mass of air in the atmosphere, typically found in polar regions. This rotating air mass occurs...

The belt between 50-70 ° N and S latitudes in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, adjacent to the Polar Region. Although...

The narrow region between 35-40 ° N and S latitudes in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, lying between the tropical...

The term used for semi-stationary high-pressure centers such as the Azores and North Pacific Highs, which occur in the narrow...

The jet stream forming the boundary between tropical air and sub-tropical air, characterized by isothermal compression and...

A tropical cyclone, also called a hurricane, is a severe tropical storm with wind speeds in excess of 74 mph. Known as a...

A weather warning means that a weather hazard is occurring, imminent, or likely. In other words, severe weather is happening...

Weather is the day-to-day meteorological conditions that happen in our atmosphere. Weather can change within minutes, which...

Weather conditions are the components that comprise the state of the atmosphere. The six main weather conditions are temperature,...

Weather intelligence is technology that provides predictive and actionable insights, allowing businesses to adapt to weather-related...

A weather system refers to the movement of warm and cold air across the globe, usually in a recurring pattern. Systems can...

A weather watch means there is a risk of weather hazards in the near future, which could pose a threat to life/property....