Weather Vocabulary

Word Definition Image

wind air in natural motion, as that moving

horizontally at any velocity along the
earth's surface

anemometer any instrument for measuring the speed

of wind

atmospheric the pressure exerted by the earth's

pressure atmosphere at any given point, being
the product of the mass of the
atmospheric column of the unit area
above the given point and of the
gravitational acceleration at the given
point.

density the state or quality of being dense;

compactness; closely set or crowded
condition.

630 × 321

sea level the horizontal plane or level

corresponding to the surface of the sea
at mean level between high and low
tide.
barometer any instrument that measures
atmospheric pressure

convection cell a distinct volume of circulating fluid, in a

fluid medium under gravity, that is
heated from below and cooled from
above:usually found in large groupings.

prototype the original or model on which

something is based or formed.

dew point the temperature to which air must be

cooled, at a given pressure and
water-vapor content, for it to reach
saturation; the temperature at which
dew begins to form

dew moisture condensed from the

atmosphere, especially at night, and
deposited in the form of small drops
upon any cool surface
water cycle the natural sequence through which
water passes into the atmosphere as
water vapor, precipitates to earth in
liquid or solid form, and ultimately
returns to the atmosphere through
evaporation

ground water the water beneath the surface of the

ground, consisting largely of surface
water that has seeped down: the
source of water in springs and wells

transpiration the passage of water through a plant

from the roots through the vascular
system to the atmosphere

evaporation matter or the quantity of matter

evaporated​ or passed off in vapor

absolute the mass of water vapor present in a

humidity unit volume of moist air.
relative humidity the amount of water vapor in the air,
expressed as a percentage of the
maximum amount that the air could
hold at the given temperature; the ratio
of the actual water vapor pressure to
the saturation vapor pressure.

crystallization the act or process of ​crystallizing​.

precipitation rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the 

ground.

stationary front a front between warm and cold air

masses that is moving very slowly or
not at all.

warm front a transition zone between a mass of

warm air and the colder air it is
replacing​.
occluded front a composite front formed when a cold
front overtakes a warm front and forces
it aloft.

cold front the zone separating two air masses, of

which the cooler, denser mass is
advancing and replacing the warmer.

weather front A ​weather front​ is a boundary 

separating two masses of air of 
different densities, and is the principal 
cause of meteorological phenomena 
outside the tropics.

air mass a body of air covering a relatively

wide area, exhibiting approximately
uniform properties ​through ​any
horizontal section.
Low pressure A ​low pressure system​ has ​lower 
system pressure​ at its center than the areas 
around it. Winds blow towards the ​low 
pressure​, and the air rises in the 
atmosphere where they meet. As the 
air rises, the water vapor within it 
condenses forming clouds and often 
precipitation too.

High pressure High​-​pressure systems​ are frequently 

system associated with light winds at the 
surface and subsidence through the 
lower portion of the troposphere. In 
general, subsidence will dry out an air 
mass by adiabatic or compressional 
heating. Thus, ​high pressure​ typically 
brings clear skies.

isobar a line on a map connecting points having 

the same atmospheric pressure at a 
given time or on average over a given 
period.

severe a t​ hunderstorm​ that produces one 

thunderstorm inch hail or larger in diameter and/or 
winds equal or exceed 58 miles an 
hour.
severe weather any dangerous meteorological 
phenomena with the potential to cause 
damage, serious social disruption, or loss 
of human life.

blizzard a storm with dry, driving snow, strong

winds, and ​intense ​cold.

Heat index a ​number ​representing the effect of

temperature and humidity on humans
by combining the two variables into an
“apparent” temperature, introduced as a
replacement for the
temperature-humidity index

Heat wave an air mass of high temperature

covering an extended area and moving
relatively slowly.
a period of abnormally hot and usually
humid ​weather.

tornado A mobile, destructive vortex of violently 

rotating winds having the appearance of 
a funnel-shaped cloud and advancing 
beneath a large storm system.

hurricane a storm with a violent wind, in particular a 

tropical cyclone in the Caribbean.