Printable Whiteouts and Thunderheads: Weather Vocabulary flash cards
47 words
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| barometer |
any instrument that measures atmospheric pressure |
| scattered |
of clouds covering up to one-half of the sky |
| drizzle |
precipitation consisting of numerous, minute droplets of water |
| warning |
an announcement to the public that a storm or other weather hazard is imminent and that immediate steps should be taken to protect lives and property |
| thermal |
a rising air current caused by heating from the underlying surface, especially such a current when not producing a cloud |
| airshed |
an area within which the air frequently is confined or channeled, with all parts of the area thus being subject to similar conditions of air pollution |
| anticyclone |
a circulation of winds around a region of high atmospheric pressure, clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere |
| ozone layer |
the layer of the upper atmosphere where most atmospheric ozone is concentrated, from about 8 to 30 mi. (12 to 48 km) above the earth |
| whiteout |
a condition in which uniform illumination from snow on the ground and from a low cloud layer makes features of the landscape indistinguishable |
| microburst |
an intense, localized downdraft of air that spreads on the ground, causing rapid changes in wind direction and speed; a localized downpour |
| rain shadow |
a region in the lee of mountains that receives less rainfall than the region windward of the mountains |
| tropical storm |
a tropical cyclone of less than hurricane force |
| warm front |
a transition zone between a mass of warm air and the colder air it is replacing |
| photochemical smog |
air pollution containing ozone and reactive chemical compounds formed by sunlight on nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons, often from auto exhaust |
| special marine warning |
a warning of high-wind conditions at sea that are expected to last for up to two hours, and generally result of thunderstorms or squall lines |
| stationary front |
a front between warm and cold air masses that is moving very slowly or not at all |
| squall line |
a line or extended narrow region within which squalls or thunderstorms occur, often several hundred miles long |
| cold wave |
a rapid and considerable drop in temperature, usually affecting a large area |
| pressure gradient |
the change in atmospheric pressure per unit of horizontal distance in the direction in which pressure changes most rapidly |
| wave cyclone |
a cyclone that forms on a front and, in maturing, produces an increasingly sharp, wavelike deformation of the front |
| strong breeze |
a wind of 25?30 mph (11?13 m/sec) |
| convective activity |
any manifestation of convection in the atmosphere, such as hail or thunderstorms |
| ice crystals |
precipitation consisting of small, slowly falling crystals of ice |
| billow cloud |
a cloud consisting of broad, parallel bands oriented perpendicularly to the wind |
| hurricane warning |
a storm warning given for winds with speeds exceeding 63 knots (72 mph, 32 m/sec) when the source of the winds is a tropical cyclone |
| anemometry |
the science of measuring the speed of wind |
| windchill factor |
the apparent temperature felt on the exposed human body owing to the combination of temperature and wind speed |
| woolpack |
a cumulus cloud of fleecy appearance with a horizontal base |
| polar front |
the variable frontal zone of middle latitudes separating air masses of polar and tropical origin |
| storm warning |
a National Weather Service warning of winds having speeds of 48 knots (55 mph, 25 m/sec) or greater |
| advection fog |
fog caused by the movement of warm, moist air over a cold surface |
| biofog |
a fog, resembling steam fog, produced by the contact of very cold air with the warmth and moisture issuing from animal or human bodies |
| dry freeze |
the occurrence of freezing temperatures without the formation of hoarfrost |
| polar outbreak |
a vigorous thrust of cold, polar air across temperate regions |
| atmospheric tide |
a movement of atmospheric masses caused by the gravitational attraction of the sun and moon and by daily solar heating |
| dry fog |
a fog that does not moisten exposed surfaces |
| frost smoke |
an ice fog caused by extremely cold air flowing over a body of comparatively warm water, especially in polar regions |
| lake effect |
the phenomena created in the surrounding area by weather passing over a large lake, especially any of the Great Lakes of the U.S. |
| sounding balloon |
a balloon carrying instruments aloft to make atmospheric measurements |
| steam fog |
fog caused by cold air flowing over a body of comparatively warm water and giving the appearance of smoke or steam |
| zero-zero |
atmospheric conditions having or characterized by zero visibility in both horizontal and vertical directions |
| blizzard |
a storm with dry, driving snow, strong winds, and intense cold; a heavy and prolonged snowstorm covering a wide area |
| broken |
a sky being more than half covered, but not totally covered, by clouds |
| fair |
a bright, sunny, cloudless to half-cloudy sky, with no prospect of rain, snow, or hail; not stormy |
| overcast |
the condition of the sky when more than 95 percent covered by clouds |
| precipitation |
falling products of condensation in the atmosphere, such as rain, snow, or hail |
| thunderhead |
the upper portion of a cumulus cloud characterized by dense, sharply defined, cauliflower-like upper parts and sometimes by great verticality |
| barometer |
any instrument that measures atmospheric pressure |
| scattered |
of clouds covering up to one-half of the sky |
| drizzle |
precipitation consisting of numerous, minute droplets of water |
| warning |
an announcement to the public that a storm or other weather hazard is imminent and that immediate steps should be taken to protect lives and property |
| thermal |
a rising air current caused by heating from the underlying surface, especially such a current when not producing a cloud |
| airshed |
an area within which the air frequently is confined or channeled, with all parts of the area thus being subject to similar conditions of air pollution |
| anticyclone |
a circulation of winds around a region of high atmospheric pressure, clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere |
| ozone layer |
the layer of the upper atmosphere where most atmospheric ozone is concentrated, from about 8 to 30 mi. (12 to 48 km) above the earth |
| whiteout |
a condition in which uniform illumination from snow on the ground and from a low cloud layer makes features of the landscape indistinguishable |
| microburst |
an intense, localized downdraft of air that spreads on the ground, causing rapid changes in wind direction and speed; a localized downpour |
| rain shadow |
a region in the lee of mountains that receives less rainfall than the region windward of the mountains |
| tropical storm |
a tropical cyclone of less than hurricane force |
| warm front |
a transition zone between a mass of warm air and the colder air it is replacing |
| photochemical smog |
air pollution containing ozone and reactive chemical compounds formed by sunlight on nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons, often from auto exhaust |
| special marine warning |
a warning of high-wind conditions at sea that are expected to last for up to two hours, and generally result of thunderstorms or squall lines |
| stationary front |
a front between warm and cold air masses that is moving very slowly or not at all |
| squall line |
a line or extended narrow region within which squalls or thunderstorms occur, often several hundred miles long |
| cold wave |
a rapid and considerable drop in temperature, usually affecting a large area |
| pressure gradient |
the change in atmospheric pressure per unit of horizontal distance in the direction in which pressure changes most rapidly |
| wave cyclone |
a cyclone that forms on a front and, in maturing, produces an increasingly sharp, wavelike deformation of the front |
| strong breeze |
a wind of 25?30 mph (11?13 m/sec) |
| convective activity |
any manifestation of convection in the atmosphere, such as hail or thunderstorms |
| ice crystals |
precipitation consisting of small, slowly falling crystals of ice |
| billow cloud |
a cloud consisting of broad, parallel bands oriented perpendicularly to the wind |
| hurricane warning |
a storm warning given for winds with speeds exceeding 63 knots (72 mph, 32 m/sec) when the source of the winds is a tropical cyclone |
| anemometry |
the science of measuring the speed of wind |
| windchill factor |
the apparent temperature felt on the exposed human body owing to the combination of temperature and wind speed |
| woolpack |
a cumulus cloud of fleecy appearance with a horizontal base |
| polar front |
the variable frontal zone of middle latitudes separating air masses of polar and tropical origin |
| storm warning |
a National Weather Service warning of winds having speeds of 48 knots (55 mph, 25 m/sec) or greater |
| advection fog |
fog caused by the movement of warm, moist air over a cold surface |
| biofog |
a fog, resembling steam fog, produced by the contact of very cold air with the warmth and moisture issuing from animal or human bodies |
| dry freeze |
the occurrence of freezing temperatures without the formation of hoarfrost |
| polar outbreak |
a vigorous thrust of cold, polar air across temperate regions |
| atmospheric tide |
a movement of atmospheric masses caused by the gravitational attraction of the sun and moon and by daily solar heating |
| dry fog |
a fog that does not moisten exposed surfaces |
| frost smoke |
an ice fog caused by extremely cold air flowing over a body of comparatively warm water, especially in polar regions |
| lake effect |
the phenomena created in the surrounding area by weather passing over a large lake, especially any of the Great Lakes of the U.S. |
| sounding balloon |
a balloon carrying instruments aloft to make atmospheric measurements |
| steam fog |
fog caused by cold air flowing over a body of comparatively warm water and giving the appearance of smoke or steam |
| zero-zero |
atmospheric conditions having or characterized by zero visibility in both horizontal and vertical directions |
| blizzard |
a storm with dry, driving snow, strong winds, and intense cold; a heavy and prolonged snowstorm covering a wide area |
| broken |
a sky being more than half covered, but not totally covered, by clouds |
| fair |
a bright, sunny, cloudless to half-cloudy sky, with no prospect of rain, snow, or hail; not stormy |
| overcast |
the condition of the sky when more than 95 percent covered by clouds |
| precipitation |
falling products of condensation in the atmosphere, such as rain, snow, or hail |
| thunderhead |
the upper portion of a cumulus cloud characterized by dense, sharply defined, cauliflower-like upper parts and sometimes by great verticality |
