Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Weather Section 1
4 Introduction to Basic
in the Tennessee Valley Classroom Weather Understanding
6 Layers of the Atmosphere
7 Water Cycle
Weather…The Basics
Intro to To best understand how the
weather works, you must
first understand how the
Basic Weather
atmosphere (the thin layer
of air that surrounds our
planet) is structured. As
we will see as we begin to study
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Transport
Condensation
Precipitation
Transpiration
Snowmelt
Runoff
Surface Runoff
Evaporation
Infiltration into
Groundwater
Groundwater Flow
Plant Uptake
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8 Water that is given off by trees in the water cycle is known as_______________________________________________
1 If you are on top of a mountain, would the pressure of the air be heavier or lighter than on the beach?__________
2 Would you have more or less oxygen up in the mountains than on the beach?_ ____________________________
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What is Temperature?
Temperature is the way we How Can You Measure Temperature?
measure the amount of heat We use a thermometer to measure temperature. There are several different
we can feel. Actually, temperature
Weather Patterns
types of thermometers. Some are made of glass and mercury, others are
is a measure of the speed of tiny digital, while others look like a dial. How can all of these measure temperature?
particles in the air. Everything is Well, everything reacts to temperature changes. When it gets hot outside,
made up of very tiny objects called your body can sense it. Also, when it gets hot, metal expands. Mercury, a liquid
molecules. These molecules move metal, does this as well. When it gets cold outside, your body can feel it, water
Weather Variables around. The hotter it is, the faster they can freeze up, metal contracts and so does mercury.
move, and the higher the temperature.
Precipitation So, temperature is really just a measure So many different types of material can be used in a thermometer to measure
of how fast these little molecules are its reaction to temperature. Since these different materials react to hot and
Seasons moving around. The amazing thing cold air, we can measure the changes in them and figure out the temperature!
is, it usually means the same thing as That is how a thermometer works.
how hot we feel.
Huntsville’s Hottest Huntsville’s Extremes
As the temperature gets colder and Temperatures
colder, the molecules move slower and Hottest:
slower. In theory, at some point the 1. 111 7/29/1930 111ºF on 7/29/1930
molecules stop moving altogether. It Coldest:
2. 110 7/28/1930
cannot get any colder than this. This -11ºF (1/21/1985 & 1/30/1966)
temperature is known as absolute 3. 108 (5 times, Most recent 6/29/1931) 37 Straight days over 90 in 1935
zero. Although the word “zero” is used, 35 Straight days over 90 ended
the temperature in Fahrenheit (F) is 4. 107 (5 times, Most recent 6/28/1931)
8/22/2010
-459°F and in Celsius is –273°C.
Experiment: (Note to teachers: although many filled-glass thermometers are filled with mercury, we strongly
recommend to not use mercury thermometers in the classroom to ensure
safety. Instead, do the experiment using alcohol-filled glass thermometers.)
1 Take an alcohol filled thermometer and look at where the level of alcohol is.
2 Run the thermometer under cold water. Now where is the level of alcohol?__________________________________
_ ____________________________________________________________________________________________
What liquid other than alcohol would change its size because of the temperature?
_ ____________________________________________________________________________________________
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You see them all of the time—up in the sky. Types of clouds
Sometimes they are flat. Sometimes they are puffy.
Sometimes they are white. Sometimes they are gray. Cumulus
Sometimes they are big and tall. Sometimes they aren’t These are white, puffy clouds that are often flat on the
there at all. They are clouds. Clouds are made up of bottom. They are usually found when the weather is
water droplets or ice crystals. They appear to hang nice.
in the sky, but they are actually just resting on the air
below them. Stratus
These are low, thick, flat, grayish clouds that usually
So what is a cloud, really? Well, first we have to know cover the whole sky. These clouds often are found on
what is in the air. Air is made up of gases like nitrogen, cool days and make it truly “cloudy.”
oxygen and carbon dioxide. Air is also made up of
water. Not liquid water, but water vapor. Water vapor
Nimbus
is tiny drops of water suspended in the air. We cannot
These look much like stratus clouds, but nimbus clouds
see water vapor, but the water is there. On humid days,
have rain or snow falling from them.
there is more water vapor in the air. On dry days, there
is not much water vapor in the air.
Cirrus
These are very high in the sky. They are thin and white
When air is lifted, it cools. If the air cools down enough
and sometimes the sun can shine right through them.
the water vapor condenses and turns into water
droplets. These droplets are bigger than the little pieces
that make up vapor, so we can see them. They appear Cumulonimbus
to be white when the sun shines on them. If a cloud is This is a thunderstorm cloud. When a cumulus cloud
thick enough that enough water droplets block out the begins to grow taller and taller, it starts to rain and
sun, the cloud appears grayish. sometimes hail, lightning, and tornadoes can occur from
cumulonimbus clouds.
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2 If a snowflake fell and melted on the way to the ground, what type of precipitation would it be?
_ ______________________________________________________________________________________________
LESSON 3 What if that snowflake melted on the way down, but then re-froze just before hitting the ground.
What have you done?
What type of precipitation is that?_ ___________________________________________________________________
The warm, humid air in the jar represents the warm water near the earth’s
surface. As it rises, the air around it cools (that is what the ice on the nylon 4 Can you have rain and snow falling at the same time?_____________________________________________________
represents). As the warm, humid air is cooled by the cold air above it, it forms a
cloud in the jar! BONUS Why or why not? _ ___________________________________________________________________________
16 © Copyright 2010 by Classroom weather. All Rights Reserved. © Copyright 2010 by Classroom weather. All Rights Reserved. 17
Directions In this graphic, the thick, solid line shows you where
MATERIALS 1 Using the ruler and paper, make markings on the paper so the north and south poles are. Notice that the Sept. 22nd
that it becomes a ruler. You can make it in whatever Earth is tilted, that is to say that it does
• 1 straight-side clear plastic container increments you wish. Divide it up by inch, and then in not have the North Pole at the very
(curved sides would skew the rain totals) quarters, and even smaller if you want to. top and the South Pole at the
very bottom. Jun. 21st
• scissors
2 Once you have the ruler made, cut it out.
The Earth revolves around Dec. 21st
• clear cellophane or plastic sandwich bag the sun once each year.
3 Cover the ruler with clear cellophane, front and back. This
Near December 21st,
• tape will protect it from the rain, and make it sturdy so that the
the South Pole is facing
ruler can stand straight.
toward the sun and the
• rainy days North Pole is facing away
4 Stand the ruler inside the container so that the ruler rests on the from the sun. This gives
• graph paper bottom of the container. Tape it at the top, to the inside of the jar,
the Northern Hemisphere
so that the ruler does not fall.
(where we live) shorter days
• plain paper and less direct sunshine. This
5 Place your rain gauge outside, and measure the amount of rainfall makes our weather colder and we
• ruler that occurs each day. Place the rain gauge in a place away from call this season WINTER.
trees and buildings, as this may affect the amounts. Also, you may Mar. 20th
wish to glue the jar to a block or platform of wood, so that it does Then the Earth moves so that the sun shines
not tip over if it is windy. directly over the Equator by March 20th. The Equator is
a line that marks the halfway point between the North and South Poles.
When the sun shines directly over this line, the days and nights are nearly of equal length. The season changes at this point
and we call it SPRING.
RECORD RESULTS
Record the amount of rain you receive every time it rains on your graph paper and compare that to the amount recorded The Earth then moves around the sun so that the North Pole is facing the sun. The daylight becomes longer for the
at the nearest official rain gauge. (You may want to record the official rain total on the same graph paper in a different color.) You Northern Hemisphere and the sunlight more direct. By June 21st, the sun is at its strongest for the Northern Hemisphere
can see some of the state’s official amounts on the website: (note that the daily amount is updated a couple times per day, and the temperatures warm up. We call this season SUMMER.
but the official amount is not recorded for that day until just after midnight, so it may be best to compare the amounts on
the next day) The Earth continues to revolve around the sun. By September 22nd, the sun is once again over the Equator. The days and
nights are again nearly equal length. The Northern Hemisphere is cooling down and we begin a season called AUTUMN or
Once on the website for “Weather in the Classroom,” (web link can be found on the front cover), simply follow the links for FALL.
“Daily Weather and Climate Data”.
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• Strong winds can produce dangerously • Rain and thunderstorms occassionally occur
cold wind chills • Temperature changes often North Pole
SPRING SUMMER
• Days and nights are equal length at • Days are long, nights are short
the beginning of Spring
• Sun is higher in the sky
• Days get gradually longer through
the season • Sun is directly over the Northern Hemisphere
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2 What was the temperature of the water when you saw the condensation form on the outside of the cup?
_ ______________________________________________________________________________________________
INTERESTING NOTE: Sometimes people will exaggerate about the relative humidity. It is common for people on a hot, 3 Would your cup of water have to be colder or warmer to reach the dew point if the air outside is very dry?
humid summer day to say that the temperature and humidity are high. However some people will say that it is 95 degrees and _ ______________________________________________________________________________________________
100% humidity. This could never happen on Earth. That would make the dew point 95 degrees, too, since the humidity is 100%.
Dew points rarely go higher than 80, and we could not physically handle dew points into the 90s on Earth for very long.
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Instead of droplets of water forming on the grass and on car windshields, we see ice crystals forming on surfaces. This is
called frost.
Use the “Recording the Weather” DATA CHART to fill in
Directions the weather information for one week.
materials 1 In one can, place several ice cubes.
• 2 metal cans • ice cubes Directions
2 In a separate can place a mixture of ice cubes and rock salt.
• rock salt • thermometer 1 Pick a city in the Tennessee Valley and log on to the Weather in the Classroom website.
3 Wait a few moments and notice what happened to the two cans.
You can find the link for the website on the front cover of this booklet.
LESSON REVIEW You will then be able to select “Current Weather” for the following areas of the state:
What have you done? 1 Which of the cans had the frost form on the outside?
_ ____________________________________________________________ • Tennessee Valley (around Huntsville)
The can with ice and salt will
be colder. The reason for this is _ ____________________________________________________________ • Central Alabama (around Birmingham)
saltwater has a lower freezing • Middle Tennessee (around Nashville)
point that pure water (the 2 Which of the cans had dew form?
same reason salt is applied to _ ____________________________________________________________
roadways in winter). This lower 2 Click on the city on the map you have chosen to see the current conditions.
freezing point allowed for more
water to evaporate and more 3 What was the temperature of the two cans? 3 Record the temperature, wind direction, wind speed, air pressure, current weather type and relative humidity.
evaporative cooling of the _ ____________________________________________________________
saltwater in the can. Thus, the 4 Do this at the beginning of the school day, the middle of the day and again at the end of the day.
final temperature was colder of
the saltwater can. 4 What made one can colder than the other? 5 Write down any interesting things that happened with the weather on the “Recording the Weather”
_ ____________________________________________________________ INFORMATION PAGE. Be sure to include big changes from sunny skies to cloudy skies or when precipitation
started to fall.
NOTE: During the winter months, the air can become very dry (especially on cold days) and it may be difficult to cool the 6 When you have finished recording the weather for the week, answer the questions on the
cans down to the dew point temperature. On a very dry day, you may see only frost form on the colder can, but no dew. If this “Recording the Weather” QUESTION SHEET.
is the case, wait and try again on day when the dew point is higher (more moisture in the air). You can find the dew point
temperature by following weather observations online.
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Monday:
Were there clouds today?___________________________________________________________________________
* Weather might include partly cloudy, fog, rain, snow, sunny, windy, breezy, cold, warm, hot, etc.
26 © Copyright 2010 by Classroom weather. All Rights Reserved. © Copyright 2010 by Classroom weather. All Rights Reserved. 27
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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
fayetteville ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
bridgeport
Florence huntsville
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
athens
muscle shoals madison scottsboro ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
guntersville
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LINCOLN COLBERT
on the map above: WAYNE DEKALB ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FRANKLIN
JACKSON ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LAUDERDALE
LAWRENCE ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LIMESTONE
MADISON ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MARSHALL
MORGAN
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In the picture below, the winds are shown around areas of high and low pressure at the surface.
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But there since the Earth is constantly rotating, the wind “turns” as the world turns. This is known as the Coriolis force. • rubber band 2 Tape a straw to the top of your plastic
So, when you have high and low pressure with a rotating Earth, but no friction, then the wind blows like this: wrap cover with one end of the straw
• drinking straw in the middle of the can’s cover and
the other end slightly off the edge of
• large index card the can. (see right)
REVIEW
After recording your air pressure results for the week, answer the following questions:
1 What days had the highest pressure? __________________________________________________________________
3 Why did the plastic wrap get pushed down by high pressure? ______________________________________________
4 What interesting weather happened when the pressure was changing? _ _____________________________________
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• water
3 Empty the glass bottle and quickly cover the bottle’s A wall cloud is a lowering out of the base of a thunderstorm (even
opening with a balloon. This traps in very warm air lower than the bottom of the thunderstorm itself ) which is rotating. Wall
inside the warm bottle. clouds are sometimes difficult to detect because of their ragged appearance.
However, wall clouds are indicators of the most dangerous part of the thunderstorm
LESSON 4 Now place the bottle upright in the bowl of cold base. It is in this area that tornadoes develop.
What did you learn? water. This will cool the air inside the bottle down.
Observe what happens to the balloon.
In Experiment 1, the air inside the bottle was Write down your results.
cooled. When air is cooled, it contracts and the Why do tornadoes form?
density is higher (more compact). Since the air was Experiment 2
contracting, it sucked the balloon into the bottle. 1 Fill a large bowl with very warm water. Set aside. Tornadoes form when conditions are right the tornado can be helpful to a thunderstorm. It allows
and can even help large thunderstorms a thunderstorm to take in large amounts of air at a time
In Experiment 2, the air inside the bottle was keep themselves going. Without the tornado, many into the storm’s body. Unfortunately, this process is very
2 Fill the glass bottle with cold water. This allows the thunderstorms would lose their source of warm, humid
heated. When air is heated, it expands and the damaging to anything in its path.
bottle to get fairly cold, as well.
density is lower (less compact). Since the air was surface air that keeps them alive. Large thunderstorms
expanding, it caused the balloon to expand outside take large amounts of air from the surface up into the Tornadoes can have wind speeds anywhere from near
3 Empty the glass bottle and quickly cover the bottle’s body of the thunderstorm. Some air must come back
the bottle, as well. 65mph all the way up to more than 300mph. They vary in
opening with a balloon. This traps in cold air inside down to replace the air that was sucked up into the size, too. Small tornadoes may only be a few feet wide, but
the cold bottle. thunderstorm. This downward moving air is called a
In the atmosphere the warmer, lighter air rises since large tornadoes can reach a diameter more than one mile
it is lighter, and the colder air sinks since the density downdraft. Downdrafts are necessary, but they can “choke” wide. Most tornadoes are between 300 and 2000 feet wide.
4 Now place the bottle upright in the bowl of warm a thunderstorm and give it no way to suck warm, humid Each year in the United States, about 1,000 tornadoes form.
is higher. Sinking cold, air can create areas of high water. This will heat the air inside the bottle. Observe
pressure and rising, warm air often creates areas of air up into the main body of the storm. That is where
what happens to the balloon. Write down your results.
low pressure.
36 © Copyright 2010 by Classroom weather. All Rights Reserved. © Copyright 2010 by Classroom weather. All Rights Reserved. 37
description of the damage caused. 4/24/2010 DeKalb, AL EF4 166-200 2640 6.81 0
This is the new wind damage scale 4/24/2010 DeKalb, AL/ EF3 136-165 1320 4.29 0
Chatooga, GA
that was first used in 2007.
4/24/2010 Marshall, AL/ EF3 136-165 3960 38.96 0
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REVIEW
What is a Hurricane?
Use your knowledge of tornadoes to answer the following questions
to the best of your ability.
1 About how many tornadoes occur in the United States every year?_ _________________________________________
2 According to the National Weather Service, Alabama averages around 54 tornadoes per year.
In which season of the year do you think most of these tornadoes occur?_ ____________________________________
3 If a framed house was hit by a tornado and the damage consisted of a roof that was torn off, windows were _ blown out, _
but most of the walls were still standing, then what would the Fujita-scale ranking be of this tornado?
(use the chart on the previous page for assistance on this one)______________________________________________
4 What type of cloud rotates at the bottom of a thunderstorm and is a warning sign of a possible tornado?
_ ______________________________________________________________________________________________
5 What is the name of the cloud of dust and broken materials that forms at the bottom of a tornado? A hurricane is a large, strong storm that develops over the warm waters of the ocean. This
_ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ area of warm ocean water is known as the tropics. Hurricanes form when air moves toward an area of low pressure
over very warm water. At the low-pressure center, this air begins to rise forming a large area of thunderstorms. If the air
is allowed to “evacuate” from the top of the hurricane (high pressure in the upper-levels of the atmosphere causes wind
6 A tornado looks like it is developing from a thunderstorm. What would the name of this developing tornado _be BEFORE _
to spread out) and the storm remains over warm water, then the hurricane will strengthen. (Note that the water off the
it reaches to the ground?_ __________________________________________________________________________
west coast of the United States is much colder than the waters off of the East Coast. That, along with more favorable wind
patterns in the East Coast areas, makes a land-falling West Coast hurricane a rare occurrence.)
Two Long-Tracked Tornadoes Albertville -EF3 136-165 mph, on the ground for 38 miles
40 © Copyright 2010 by Classroom weather. All Rights Reserved. © Copyright 2010 by Classroom weather. All Rights Reserved. 41
Hot, cold, wind, rain, snow and severe weather impacts everyone-from
what we wear, to how we plan activities.
42 © Copyright 2010 by Classroom weather. All Rights Reserved. © Copyright 2010 by Classroom weather. All Rights Reserved. 43
Down
1. The scale by which we
categorize hurricanes.
2. A type of cloud that is associated
with thunderstorms.
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Precipitation
Seasons
Place a star on the map closest to where you live and go to school.
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Always try to get to a basement or storm shelter…you cannot find a better place of shelter than below ground. If you are ever outside and a thunderstorm approaches, you need to find a place of shelter from the storm. Unless
there is a tornado, getting inside is the best form of shelter. (If there is a tornado, you need to follow the tornado
safety guidelines.) You should not stay outdoors during a storm. Even in a weak thunderstorm, lightning possesses
What to do if there is no basement or storm shelter: enough energy to kill you. Because of this, you need to take shelter indoors away from the threat of lightning strikes.
Go to a small room in the center or your home on the lowest floor with no windows. A closet or bathroom is best.
The best thing to do is to cover yourself with pillows, blankets, mattresses, etc. The idea is to protect yourself from What to do if you are in a hailstorm:
flying objects. If you do not have a center room, go to a small room along the east wall of your home.
Hailstorms can cause serious bodily injury. Although most hailstones are fairly small, they are falling from heights
of up to 9 miles high. They are moving very fast and can do more than just hurt you. Even medium size stones can
If your home is not on a permanent foundation: render you unconscious, break bones, and, at the very least, bruise you. There is no need to be outside during any
thunderstorm, especially a hailstorm.
Do not trust a home that is not on a permanent foundation, such as a mobile home. You should have a place in mind,
before the storm even forms, of where you can go. Make a storm safety plan. You need to choose the closest place of
safety (a basement or storm shelter is best). Lightning is very dangerous. remember this:
Lightning is the most frequent example of dangerous weather. Do not let this fool you into thinking that it is not
If you are traveling in a car or truck: as serious. More people are killed in the U.S. from lightning in a given year than from tornadoes. Lightning is very
dangerous and can strike up to five miles from the base of thunderstorm. As a storm approaches, you should take
Cars and trucks can be fatal shelters. If you are in the storm’s path, GET OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE and take shelter in a shelter indoors to avoid lightning strikes.
ditch or creek.
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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The National Weather Service, along with local television stations, use a system of watches
and warnings to keep you advised during severe weather. Read over the following definitions of the
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
watches and warnings and try to answer the questions below.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
thunderstorms to develop (usually issued for a large tornado (usually issued for a large number of counties).
number of counties). ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
means that a severe thunderstorm has been detected for issued for one or two counties).
a specific area (usually issued for one or two counties). ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2 During a tornado warning, the best place to take shelter is: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
a) your garage b) a large room with plenty of windows c) basement or storm shelter. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
a) When a Tornado Warning is issued b) When a Tornado Watch is issued ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5 A severe thunderstorm is detected on radar moving toward your county. Which of the following would be issued?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6 There is plenty of time to move away when lightning begins to strike. True or False. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7 Hailstones are falling very fast and can hurt you if you don’t take shelter inside. True or False.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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A E F
Advection - The horizontal transfer of any Climatology - The study of climate. Includes Cyclone - An area of closed pressure Easterlies - Usually applied to the broad Fahrenheit Temperature Scale - A Fujita Scale - A scale that classifies the
property in the atmosphere by the movement climatic data, the analysis of the causes of the circulation with rotating and converging winds. patterns of persistent winds with an easterly temperature scale where water at sea level has severity of wind damage intensity based on the
of air. Examples include heat and moisture differences in climate, and the application of The circulation is counterclockwise in the component, such as the easterly trade winds. a freezing point of +32 degrees F and a boiling degree of destruction as it relates to the wind
advection. climatic data to the solution of specific design or Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the point of +212 degrees F. More commonly used speed as well as path length and path width
operational problems. Southern Hemisphere. Also called a low pressure Echo - The energy return of a radar signal after it in areas that observe the English system of of the event. It is normally used to identify the
Air -This is considered the mixture of gases that system and the term used for tropical cyclone has hit the target. measurement. Created in 1714 by Gabriel Daniel most intense damage exhibited by a tornado.
make up the earth’s atmosphere. The principle Cloudburst - A sudden, heavy rainfall of a in the Indian Ocean. Other phenomena with Fahrenheit (1696-1736), a German physicist, Developed by T. Theodore Fujita and Allen
gases that compose dry air are Nitrogen at showery nature. cyclonic flow may be referred to as dust devils, Equator - The geographic circle at zero who also invented the alcohol and mercury Pearson.
78.084%, Oxygen at 20.946%, Argon at .93%, and tornadoes, tropical and extratropical systems. degrees latitude on the earth’s surface. It is thermometers.
Carbon Dioxide .03% Coalescence - The merging of two water equal distance from the North and South Poles Funnel Cloud - A violent, rotating column of
drops into a single larger drop. and divides the Northern Hemisphere from the Fair - This is a subjective description. Considered air visibly extending from the base of a towering
Air Mass - An extensive body of air throughout D Southern. as pleasant weather conditions with regard to cumulus or cumulonimbus toward the ground,
which the horizontal temperature and moisture Cold Front - The leading edge of an Dew - Condensation in the form of small water the time of year and the physical conditions. Also but not in contact with it.
characteristics are similar. advancing cold air mass that is under running drops that form on grass and other object near Equinox - The point at which the ecliptic refers to no cloud cover below 10,000 feet.
and displacing the warmer air in its path. the ground when the temperature has fallen to intersects the celestial equator. Days and nights
Generally, when a cold front passes the the dewpoint. Dew generally forms during the are most nearly equal in duration. In the Northern Flash Flood - A flood that rises and falls quite G
B temperature and humidity decrease, the pressure nighttime hours and evaporates by mid to late Hemisphere, the vernal equinox falls on or about rapidly with little or no advance warning, usually Geostationary Satellite - An orbiting
Barometer - An instrument used to measure rises, and the wind shifts from southwest to morning. March 20 and the autumnal equinox on or about as the result of intense rainfall over a relatively weather satellite that maintains the same
atmospheric pressure. Examples include the northwest. Precipitation is usually along or ahead September 22. small area. Flash floods can be caused by position over the equator during the earth’s
aneroid barometer and the mercurial barometer. of the front in the form of thunderstorms. Dew point - The temperature to which air situations such as a sudden excessive rainfall, the rotation. Also known as GOES, an acronym
must be cooled at a constant pressure to become Evaporation - The physical process by failure of a dam, or the thaw of an ice jam. for Geostationary Operational Environmental
Barometric Pressure - The pressure Condensation - The process by which water saturated. Example: If the air temperature is 70 which a liquid, such as water is transformed into Satellite.
exerted by the atmosphere at a given point. The vapor undergoes a change in state from a gas to degrees and the dewpoint temperature is 70 a gaseous state, such as water vapor. It is the Flood - High water flow or an overflow of rivers
measurement can be expressed in millibars(mb) a liquid. It’s opposite is evaporation. degrees the air is saturated and dew will form i.e, opposite physical process of condensation. or streams from their natural or artificial banks, Graupel - A form of frozen precipitation
or in inches of mercury(Hg). the relative humidity is 100% inundating adjacent low-lying areas. consisting of snowflakes or ice crystals and
Convection - Motions in a fluid that transport Evapotranspiration - The total amount supercooled water droplets frozen together.
Blizzard - A severe weather condition and mix the properties of the fluid. These Divergence - Wind movement that results in of water that is transferred from the earth’s Fog - A visible aggregate of minute water
characterized by low temperatures, winds properties could be heat and/or moisture. Often a horizontal net outlow of air from a particular surface to the atmosphere. It is made up of the droplets suspended in the atmosphere at or Gravity - The force of attraction of the earth
35mph of greater, blowing snow that can reduce the term convection is used to describe upward region. Divergence at lower levels is associated evaporation of liquid or solid water plus the near the surface of the earth, reducing horizontal on an object. The direction is downward relative
visibilities to 1/4 mile or less for more than 3 motion of water vapor (moisture) forced to with a downward movement of air from aloft. transpiration from plants. visibility to less than 5/8 statute miles. It is created to the earth, and it decreases with elevation or
hours. A severe blizzard is characterized by rise by surface heating in turn creating rain or when the temperature and the dew point of the altitude away from the earth’s surface.
temperatures at or below 10 degrees Fahrenheit, thunderstorms Doppler Radar - Weather radar that Extratropical Cyclone - Any cyclone not air have become the same, or nearly the same,
winds exceeding 45mph, and visibility reduced measures the direction and speed of a moving of tropical origin. Generally considered to be a and sufficient condensation nuclei are present. Greenhouse Effect - The overall warming
by snow to near zero. Convergence - Wind movement that results object, such as drops of precipitation, by migratory frontal cyclone found in the middle of the earth’s lower atmosphere primarily due to
in a horizontal net inflow of air into a particular determining whether atmospheric motion is and high latitudes. Forecast - A statement of expected future carbon dioxide and water vapor which permit
region. Convergent winds at lower levels are horizontally toward or away from the radar. occurrences. Weather forecasting includes the sun’s rays to heat the earth, but then restrict
C associated with upward motion. Eye - The center of a tropical storm or hurricane,
characterized by a roughly circular area of light
the use of objective models based on certain
atmospheric parameters, along with the skill and
some heat-energy from escaping back into
Calm - Atmospheric conditions devoid of wind Downburst - A severe localized downdraft space.
or any other air motion. Coriolis Force - A force per unit mass that from a thunderstorm or shower. This outward winds and rain-free skies. An eye will usually experience of a meteorologist.
arises solely from the earth’s rotation, acting burst of cool air creates damaging winds at or develop when the maximum sustained wind Gust - A sudden significant increase in or rapid
Chinook - Refers to the warm downslope wind as a deflecting force. It is dependent on the near the surface. speeds exceed 78 mph. It can range in size from Freezing Drizzle - Drizzle, falling as a liquid, fluctuations of wind speed. Peak wind must
in the Rocky Mountains that may occur after an latitude and speed of the moving object. In the as small as 5 miles up to 60 miles, but the average but freezing on impact with the colder ground or reach at least 16 knots (18 miles per hour) and
intense cold spell when the temperatures may Northern Hemisphere the air is deflected to the Drought - Abnormal, dry weather for a size is 20 miles. In general, when the eye begins other exposed surfaces. the variation between peaks and lulls is at least
rise 20-40 degrees in a matter of minutes. right, and in the Southern Hemisphere to the specific area that is prolonged and causes serious to shrink in size, the storm is intensifying. ten knots (11.5 miles per hour). The duration is
left. The coriolis effect is almost non-existent at hydrological imbalance. Freezing Rain - Rain that falls as liquid and usually less than twenty seconds.
Cirrus - High clouds usually above 18,000 feet, the equator. Eyewall - An organized band of convection freezes upon impact to form a coating of glaze
composed of ice crystals Dry Line - The boundary between the dry surrounding the eye, or center, of a tropical on the colder ground or other exposed surfaces. Gust Front - The leading edge of the cool,
Cumulonimbus Cloud - A vertically desert air mass of the southwestern U.S. and cyclone. It contains cumulonimbus clouds, gusty surface winds produced by thunderstorm
Climate - The historical record of average developed cloud, often capped by an anvil moist air mass from the Gulf of Mexico. It intense rainfall and very strong winds. Front - The transition zone or interface downdrafts. Sometimes confused with an
daily and seasonal weather events. Statistics shaped cloud. This cloud is otherwise known usually lies north-south across the central and between two air masses of different densities, outflow boundary.
are generally drawn over several decades. The as a thundercloud. A cumulonimbus cloud can southern High Plains states during the spring which usually means different temperatures.
word is derived from the Greek “klima” meaning produce tornadoes, hail, lightning, strong winds and summer months. When a dry line passes it For example, the area of convergence between Gustnado - A weak, and usually short-lived,
inclination, and reflects the importance early and heavy rain. results in a decrease in humidity, clearing skies, warm, moist air and cool, dry air. tornado that forms along the gust front of a
scholars attributed to the sun’s influence. and wind shift from east/southeasterly to west/ thunderstorm, appearing as a temporary dust
southwesterly. Its presence influences severe Frost - The covering of ice crystals that forms whirl or debris cloud.
weather development in the Great Plains. by direct sublimation on exposed surfaces whose
temperature is below freezing.
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H L
Hail - Precipitation that originates in convective Hook Echo - A radar reflectivity pattern Intertropical Convergence Zone Land Breeze - A diurnal coastal breeze that Lunar Eclipse - A eclipse of the moon occurs Microscale - The smallest scale of
clouds, such as cumulonimbus, in the form of observed in a thunderstorm, appearing (ITCZ) - An area where the Northern and blows offshore, from the land to the sea. It is when the Earth is in a direct line between the meteorological phenomena that range in size
balls or irregular pieces of ice, which comes in like a fish hook and indicating favorable Southern Hemispheric trade winds converge. caused by the temperature difference when the sun and the moon. The moon does not have from a few centimeters to a few kilometers.
different shapes and sizes. Hail is considered conditions for tornadic development. However, It is a broad area of low pressure where both sea surface is warmer than the adjacent land. any light of its own, instead it reflects the sun’s Larger phenomena are classified as mesoscale.
to have a diameter of five millimeter or more; hook echoes and tornadoes do not always the Coriolis force and the low-level pressure Predominate during the night, it reaches its light. During a lunar eclipse the moon is in the It also refers to small scale meteorological
smaller bits of ice are classified as ice pellets, accompany each other. gradient are weak, occasionally allowing tropical maximum around dawn. earth’s shadow. phenomena with life spans of less than a few
snow pellets, or graupel. Individual lumps are disturbances to form. The ITCZ fluctuates, moving minutes that affect very small areas and are
called hailstones. Humidity - The amount of water vapor in the northward over the south Atlantic during the Lapse Rate - The change of an atmospheric strongly influenced by local conditions of
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N P
Nimbostratus - This cloud exhibits a Partly Cloudy - The state of the weather Radiation Fog - Fog that is created when Satellite - Any object that orbits a celestial Sleet - Also known as ice pellets, it is winter Spring - The season of the year which occurs
combination of rain or snow, and sometimes the when clouds are conspicuously present, but do radiational cooling at the earth’s surface lowers body, such as a moon. However, the term is often precipitation in the form of small bits or pellets of as the sun approaches the summer solstice,
base of the cloud cannot be seen because of not completely cover the sky at a given time. the temperature of the air near the ground to used in reference to the manufactured objects ice that rebound after striking the ground or any and characterized by increasing temperatures
the heaviness of precipitation. They are generally Sometimes interchanged with mostly sunny. or below its dew point. Formation is best when that orbit the earth, either in a geostationary other hard surface. in the mid-latitudes. Customarily, this refers
associated with fall and winter conditions, but there is a shallow surface layer of relatively moist or a polar manner. Some of the information to the months of March, April, and May in
can occur during any season. Polar-Orbiting Satellite - A satellite air beneath a drier layer, clear skies, and light that is gathered by weather satellites, includes Snow - Frozen precipitation in the form of white the Northern Hemisphere, and the months
whose orbit passes over both of the Earth’s poles surface winds. This primarily occurs during the upper air temperatures and humidity, recording or translucent ice crystals in complex branched of September, October, and November in the
Nor’easter - A cyclonic storm occurring off gathering cloud and temperature data. night or early morning. the temperatures of cloud tops, land, and hexagonal form. It most often falls from stratiform Southern Hemisphere. Astronomically, this is
the east coast of North America. These winter ocean, monitoring the movement of clouds to clouds, but can fall as snow showers from the period between the vernal equinox and
weather events are notorious for producing Precipitation - Any and all forms of water, Rainbow - A luminous arc featuring all colors determine upper level wind speeds, tracing the cumuliform ones. It usually appears clustered into the summer solstice.
heavy snow, rain, and tremendous waves that liquid or solid, that falls from clouds and reaches of the visible light spectrum (red, orange, yellow, movement of water vapor, monitoring the sun snowflakes.
crash onto Atlantic beaches, often causing the ground. This includes, drizzle, freezing drizzle, green, blue, indigo, and violet). It is created by and solar activity, and relaying data from weather Squall - A sudden onset of strong winds with
beach erosion and structural damage. Wind freezing rain, hail, ice crystals, ice pellets, rain, refraction, total reflection, and the dispersion of instruments around the world. Snow Flurry/Flurries - Light showers speeds increasing to at least 16 knots (18 miles per
gusts associated with these storms can exceed snow, snow pellets, and snow grains. light. It is visible when the sun is shining through of snow, generally very brief without any hour) and sustained at 22 or more knots (25 miles
hurricane force in intensity. A nor’easter gets its air containing water spray or raindrops, which Scattering - The process by which small measurable accumulation. per hour) for at least one minute. The intensity and
name from the continuously strong northeasterly Pressure - The force per unit area exerted by occurs during or immediately after a rain shower. particles suspended in the air diffuse a portion duration is longer than that of a gust.
winds blowing in from the ocean ahead of the the weight of the atmosphere above a point on The bow is always observed in the opposite side of the incident radiation in all directions. This is Snow Grains - Frozen precipitation in the
storm and over the coastal areas. or above the earth’s surface. of the sky from the sun. a primary reason for colors, such as blue skies, form of very small, white, opaque grains of ice. Squall Line - A narrow band of line of active
rainbows, and orange sunsets. The solid equivalent of drizzle. thunderstorms that is not associated with a cold
Pressure Gradient - The amount of Reflectivity - A measure of the process front. It may form from an outflow boundary or
O pressure change that occurs over a fixed distance by which a surface can turn back a portion of Sea Breeze - A diurnal coastal breeze that Snow Pellets - Frozen precipitation in the the leading edge of a meso-high.
Observation - In meteorology, the evaluation at a fixed altitude. incident radiation into the medium through blows onshore, from the sea to the land. It is form of white, round or conical opaque grains
of one or more meteorological elements, like which the radiation approached. It also refers caused by the temperature difference when the of ice. Their diameter ranges from 0.08 to 0.2 Stationary Front - A front which is nearly
temperature, pressure or wind that describe the Prevailing Wind - A wind that blows from to the degree by which precipitation is able to surface of the land is warmer than the adjacent inch (2 to 5 mm). They are easily crushed and stationary or moves very little since the last
state of the atmosphere at a given time. A trained one direction more frequently than any other reflect a radar beam. Related albedo. body of water. Predominate during the day, it generally break up after rebounding from a hard synoptic position. May be known as quasi-
observer is one who records the evaluations of during a given period, such as a day, month, reaches its maximum early to mid afternoon. It surface, unlike hail. Sometimes it is called small stationary front.
the meteorological records. season, or year. Relative Humidity - A type of humidity that blows in the opposite direction of a land breeze. or soft hail.
considers the ratio of the actual vapor pressure Straight-Line Winds - Any surface wind
Outflow - Also referred to as an outflow Psychrometer - An instrument used of the air to the saturation vapor pressure. It is Sea Level Pressure - The atmospheric Snowflakes - An ice crystal or an aggregate that is not associated with rotation. An example is
boundary. It is the outward flow of air from a to measure the water vapor content of the usually expressed in percentage. pressure at mean sea level, usually determined of ice crystals which fall from clouds. the first gust from a thunderstorm, as opposed to
system such as a thunderstorm. It is the result atmosphere. It consists of two thermometers, a from the observed station pressure. tornadic winds.
of cold downdrafts and its passage includes a wet bulb and dry bulb. May also be referred to as Rime - The rapid freezing of supercooled water Solar Eclipse - An eclipse of the sun occurs
wind shift and most often a temperature drop. a sling psychrometer. droplets as they touch an exposed object, Severe Thunderstorm - A thunderstorm when the moon is in a direct line between the Stratiform - Clouds composed of water
Outflow boundaries sometimes help produce forming a white opaque granular deposit of with winds measuring 50 knots (58 mph) or sun and the earth, casting some of the earth’s droplets that exhibit no or have very little vertical
thunderstorms as they move into regions of ice. It is one of the results of an ice storm, and greater, 3/4 inch hail or larger, or tornadoes. surface in its shadow. The moon’s disk shaped development. The density of the droplets often
instability. R when formed on aircraft it is called rime icing. Severe thunderstorms may also produce outline appears to cover the sun’s brighter blocks sunlight, casting shadows on the earth’s
Radar - Acronym for RAdio Detection And Related glaze torrential rain and frequent lightning. surface, or photosphere. That part of the earth surface. Bases of these clouds are generally no
Overcast - When the sky is completely Ranging. An electronic instrument used to that is directly in the moon’s shadow will see a more than 6,000 feet above the ground. They are
covered by clouds. detect distant objects and measure their range Roll Cloud - A relatively rare, low-level, Severe Weather - Generally, any destructive total eclipse of the sun, while the areas around it classified as low clouds, and include all varieties
by how they scatter or reflect radio energy. horizontal, tube-shaped cloud. Although they weather event, but usually applies to localized will see a partial eclipse. of stratus and stratocumulus.
Overrunning - This occurs when a relatively Precipitation and clouds are detected by are associated with a thunderstorm, they are storms, such as blizzards, intense thunderstorms,
warm air mass is forced above a cooler air mass measuring the strength of the electromagnetic completely detached from the base of the or tornadoes. Solstice - The point at which the sun is the Stratocumulus - A low cloud composed
of greater density. Weather generally associated signal reflected back. cumulonimbus cloud. furthest on the ecliptic from the celestial equator. of layers or patches of cloud elements. It can
with this event include cloudiness, cool Shear - It is the rate of change over a short The point at which sun is at maximum distance form from cumulus clouds becoming more
temperatures and steady precipitation. Radiation - The process by which energy is duration. In wind shear, it can refer to the from the equator and days and nights are most stratiformed and often appears as regularly
propagated through any medium by virtue of the S frequent change in wind speed within a short unequal in duration. The Tropic of Cancer and the arranged elements that may be tessellated,
Ozone Layer - An atmospheric layer that wave motion of that medium. Electromagnetic Saffir - Simpson Damage-Potential Scale - distance. It can occur vertically or horizontally. Tropic of Capricorn are those parallels of latitude rounded, or roll-shaped with relatively flat
contains a high proportion of oxygen that exists radiation, which emits heat and light, is one form. Developed in the early 1970s by Herbert Saffir, Directional shear is a frequent change in direction which lies directly beneath a solstice. In the tops and bases. It is light or dark gray in color,
as ozone. It acts as a filtering mechanism against Sound waves are another. and Robert Simpson, it is a measure of hurricane within a short distance, which can also occur Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice falls on depending on the size of the water droplets
incoming ultraviolet radiation. It is located intensity on a scale of 1 to 5. The scale categorizes vertically or horizontally. When used in reference or about December 21 and the summer solstice and the amount of sunlight that is passing
between the troposphere and the stratosphere potential damage based on barometric pressure, to Doppler radar, it describes the change in radial on or about June 21. through them.
between 9.5 and 12.5 miles above the Earth’s wind speeds, and storm-surge. velocity over short distances horizontally.
surface. Ozone at the surface is not healthy for Stratopause - The boundary zone or
humans to breathe. Sky Cover - The amount of the celestial dome transition layer between the stratosphere and
that is hidden by clouds and/or obscurations. the mesosphere. Characterized by a decrease in
temperature with increasing altitude.
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Stratosphere - The layer of the atmosphere Supercell - A severe thunderstorm Thunder - The sound emitted by rapidly Trade Winds - Two belts of prevailing winds Tropics/Tropical - The region of the Unstable/Instability - Occurs when a
located between the troposphere and characterized by a rotating, long-lived, intense expanding gases along the channel of a lightning that blow easterly from the subtropical high earth located between the Tropic of Cancer, rising air parcel becomes less dense than the
the mesosphere, characterized by a slight updraft. Although not very common, they discharge. Over three-quarters of lightning’s pressure centers towards the equatorial trough. at 23.5 degrees North latitude, and the Tropic surrounding air. Since its temperature will not
temperature increase and absence of clouds. produce a relatively large amount of severe electrical discharge is used in heating the gases Primarily lower level winds, they are characterized of Capricorn, at 23.5 degrees South latitude. cool as rapidly as the surrounding environment, it
It extends between 11 and 31 miles (17 to 50 weather, in particular, extremely large hail, in the atmosphere in and immediately around by their great consistency of direction. In the It encompasses the equatorial region, an will continue to rise on its own.
kilometers) above the earth’s surface. It is the damaging straight-line winds, and practically all the visible channel. Temperatures can rise to Northern Hemisphere, the trades blow from the area of high temperatures and considerable
location of the earth’s ozone layer. violent tornadoes. over 10,000 degrees Celsius in microseconds, northeast, and in the Southern Hemisphere, the precipitation during part of the year. Updraft - A small scale current of air with
resulting in a violent pressure wave, composed trades blow from the southeast. vertical motion. If there is enough moisture, then
Stratus - One of the three basic cloud forms Supercooling - The reduction of the of compression and rarefaction. The rumble of Tropopause - The boundary zone or it may condense, forming a cumulus cloud, the
(the others are cirrus and cumulus). It is also one temperature of any liquid below the melting thunder is created as one’s ear catches other Transpiration - The process by which water transition layer between the troposphere and the first step towards thunderstorm development.
of the two low cloud types. It is a sheet-like cloud point of that substance’s solid phase. Cooling a parts of the discharge, the part of the lightning in plants is transferred as water vapor to the stratosphere. This is characterized by little or no
that does not exhibit individual elements, and substance beyond its nominal freezing point. flash nearest registering first, then the parts atmosphere. increase or decrease in temperature or change in Upper Air/Upper Level - The portion
is, perhaps, the most common of all low clouds. Supercooled water is water that remains in a further away. lapse rate with increasing altitude. of the atmosphere which is above the lower
Thick and gray, it is seen in low, uniform layers liquid state when it is at a temperature that is Tropical Air Mass - An air mass that troposphere. It is generally applied to the levels
and rarely extends higher than 5,000 feet above well below freezing. The smaller and purer the Thunder Snow - A wintertime thunderstorm forms in the tropics or subtropics over the low Troposphere - The lowest layer of the above 850 millibars. Therefore, upper level lows
the earth’s surface. water droplets, the more likely they can become from which falls snow instead of rain. latitudes. Maritime tropical air is produced atmosphere located between the earth’s surface and highs, troughs, winds, observations, and
supercooled. over oceans and is warm and humid, while to approximately 11 miles (17 kilometers) into charts all apply to atmospheric phenomena
Sublimation - The process of a solid (ice) Thunderstorm - Produced by a continental tropical air is formed over arid the atmosphere. Characterized by clouds and above the surface.
changing directly into a gas (water vapor), or Surface Boundary Layer - The lowest cumulonimbus cloud, it is a microscale event regions and is very hot and dry. weather, temperature generally decreases with
water vapor changing directly into ice, at the layer of the earth’s atmosphere, usually up to of relatively short duration characterized increasing altitude. Upslope Effect - The cooling of an air flow
same temperature, without ever going through 3,300 feet, or one kilometer, from the earth’s by thunder, lightning, gusty surface winds, Tropical Cyclone - A warm-core low as it ascends a hill or mountain slope. If there is
the liquid state (water). surface, where the wind is influenced by the turbulence, hail, icing, precipitation, moderate to pressure system which develops over tropical, Trough - An elongated area of low enough moisture and the air is stable, stratiform
friction of the earth’s surface and the objects extreme up and downdrafts, and under the most and sometimes subtropical, waters, and has an atmospheric pressure that is associated with clouds and precipitation may form. If the air is
Subsidence - A sinking or downward on it. severe conditions, tornadoes. organized circulation. Depending on sustained an area of minimum cyclonic circulation. The unstable, there might be an increased chance of
motion of air, often seen in anticyclones. It is surface winds, the system is classified as a tropical opposite of a ridge. thunderstorm development.
most prevalent when there is colder, denser air Surge - The increase in seawater height from Tornado - A violently rotating column of disturbance, a tropical depression, a tropical
aloft. It is often used to imply the opposite of the level that would normally occur were there air in contact with and extending between a storm, or a hurricane or typhoon. Twilight - Often called dusk, it is the evening
atmospheric convection. no storm. Although the most dramatic surges convective cloud and the surface of the earth. period of waning light from the time of sunset V
are associated with hurricanes, even smaller low- It is the most destructive of all storm-scale Tropical Depression - A tropical cyclone to dark. Vernal Equinox - Taking place in the
Subtropical - The region between the pressure systems can cause a slight increase in atmospheric phenomena. They can occur in which the maximum sustained surface Northern Hemispheric spring, it is the point
tropical and temperate regions, an area between the sea level if the wind and fetch is just right. It is anywhere in the world given the right conditions, winds are 38 miles per hour (33 knots) or less. Twister - A slang term used in the United at which the ecliptic intersects the celestial
35 and 40 degrees North and South latitude. estimated by subtracting the normal astronomic but are most frequent in the United States in an Characteristically having one or more closed States for a tornado. equator. Days and nights are most nearly
This is generally an area of semi-permanent high tide from the observed storm tide. area bounded by the Rockies on the west and isobars, it may form slowly from a tropical equal in duration. It falls on or about March 20
pressure that exists and is where the Azores and the Appalachians in the east. disturbance or an easterly wave which has Typhoon - The name for a tropical cyclone and is considered the beginning of spring in
North Pacific Highs may be found. Synoptic Scale - The size of migratory continued to organize. with sustained winds of 74 miles per hour (65 the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the
high and low pressure systems in the lower Tornado Alley - A geographic corridor in knots) or greater in the western North Pacific Southern Hemisphere.
Subtropical Jet - Marked by a concentration troposphere that cover a horizontal area of the United States which stretches north from Tropical Disturbance - An area of Ocean. This same tropical cyclone is known
of isotherms and vertical shear, this jet is the several hundred miles or more. Texas to Nebraska and Iowa. In terms of sheer organized convection, originating in the tropics as a hurricane in the eastern North Pacific and Virga - Streaks or wisps of precipitation, such
boundary between the subtropical air and the numbers, this section of the United States and occasionally the subtropics, that maintains its North Atlantic Ocean, and as a cyclone in the as water or ice particles, that fall from clouds but
tropical air. It is found approximately between receives more tornadoes than any other. identity for 24 hours or more. It is often the first Indian Ocean. evaporate before reaching the ground.
25 and 35 degrees North latitude and usually T developmental stage of any subsequent tropical
above an altitude of 40,000 feet. Its position tends Temperature - The measure of molecular Towering Cumulus - Another name for depression, tropical storm, or hurricane. Visibility - A measure of the opacity of
to migrate south in the Northern Hemispheric motion or the degree of heat of a substance. cumulus congestus, it is a rapidly growing U the atmosphere, and therefore, the greatest
winter and north in the summer. cumulus or an individual dome-shaped Tropical Storm - A tropical cyclone in which Ultraviolet - Electromagnetic radiation that distance one can see prominent objects with
Thermometer - An instrument used for clouds whose height exceeds its width. Its the maximum sustained surface winds are from has a wavelength shorter than visible light and normal eyesight.
Summer - Astronomically, this is the period measuring temperature. The different scales used distinctive cauliflower top often mean showers 39 miles per hour (34 knots) to 73 miles per hour longer than x-rays. Although it accounts for only
between the summer solstice and the autumnal in meteorology are Celsius, Fahrenheit, and Kelvin below, but lacking the characteristic anvil of a (63 knots). At this point, the system is given a 4 to 5 percent of the total energy of insolation, it Visible Light - The portion of the
equinox. It is characterized as having the warmest or Absolute. cumulonimbus, it is not a thunderstorm. name to identify and track it. is responsible for many complex photochemical electromagnetic spectrum that can be detected
temperatures of the year, except in some tropical reactions, such as fluorescence and the formation by the human eye. It travels at the same speed
regions. Customarily, this refers to the months of Thermosphere - A thermal classification, it Trace - Generally, a non-measurable or Tropical Wave - Another name for an of ozone. as all other radiation, that is at 186,000 miles
June, July, and August in the North Hemisphere, is the layer of the atmosphere located between insignificant quantity. A precipitation amount of easterly wave, it is an area of relatively low per second. It has a wave length longer than
and the months of December, January, and the mesosphere and out space. It is a region of less than 0.005 inch. pressure moving westward through the trade Universal Time Coordinate - One of ultraviolet light and shorter than x-rays.
February in the South Hemisphere. steadily increasing temperature with altitude. wind easterlies. Generally, it is associated with several names for the twenty-four hour time
extensive cloudiness and showers, and may which is used throughout the scientific and
be associated with possible tropical cyclone military communities.
development.
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W
Wall Cloud - An abrupt lowering of a cloud Wind - Air that flows in relation to the earth’s __________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
from its parent cloud base, a cumulonimbus surface, generally horizontally. There are four
or supercell, with no visible precipitation areas of wind that are measured: direction, __________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
underneath. Forming in the area of a speed, character (gusts and squalls), and shifts.
thunderstorm updraft, or inflow area, it exhibits Surface winds are measured by wind vanes
rapid upward movement and cyclonic rotation. and anemometers, while upper level winds __________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It often develops before strong or violent are detected through pilot balloons, rawin, or
tornadoes. aircraft reports.
__________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Warm Advection - The horizontal movement Wind Chill Index - The calculation of
of warmer air into a location. temperature that takes into consideration the __________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Waterspout - A small, weak tornado, which Winter - Astronomically, this is the period
__________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
is not formed by a storm-scale rotation. It is between the winter solstice and the vernal
generally weaker than a supercell tornado and is equinox. It is characterized as having the coldest
not associated with a wall cloud or mesocyclone. temperatures of the year, when the sun is __________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It may be observed beneath cumulonimbus primarily over the opposite hemisphere.
or towering cumulus clouds and is the water
__________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
equivalent of a landspout.
long term, or climatic, changes. Zulu Time - One of several names for the
twenty-four hour time which is used throughout __________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Westerlies - Usually applied to the broad the scientific and military communities.
patterns of persistent winds with a westerly
component. It is the dominant persistent __________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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