weather

forecast

The state of the atmosphere: considering wind, temperature, cloudiness, moisture, pressure, and other factors.

A prediction of what the future weather will be like.

atmosphere

temperature

The layer of air that surrounds the earth.

A measurement of the amount of heat something contains.

weather pattern

climate

When the weather repeats itself several days in a row.

The average weather over a long period of time.

almanac

water cycle

A book that contains weather data and forecasts.

The journey water takes as it circulates from the land to the sky and back again.

water vapor

condensation

Water in its gaseous state- instead of liquid or solid. It is totally invisible.

When a gas becomes a liquid.

evaporation

precipitation

When a liquid becomes a gas.

Any liquid or solid form of water that falls from the atmosphere. For example: rain, snow, hail, or sleet.

stratus

cirrus

Flat, featureless clouds low in the atmosphere that cover the sky like a blanket. They indicate rain.

High level clouds made mostly of ice crystals. They indicate fair weather.

cumulonimbus

cumulus

Clouds that bring summer storms, usually with thunder, lighting, and strong winds.

Mid-level, puffy clouds. They indicate fair weather.

fog

wind isobars

Clouds that form at ground level.

Air flowing from high pressure to low pressure.

beaufort scale

prevailing winds

A scale that relates the wind speed to its effects, classified from force 0 to force 12.

The speed and direction of wind over a particular point on the earth's surface.

Westerlies

Easterlies

The global winds that carry weather over the United States, traveling from West to East.

Global winds at the poles of the earth. These global winds sometimes affect our weather during the winter months.

air mass

air pressure

A massive bubble of air that has the same temperature and pressure throughout.

The force of air pushing down on Earth.

barometer

aneroid barometer

A device used to measure air pressure.

A barometer that uses liquid.

isobar

front

A line drawn on a weather map that connects locations with the same air pressure.

Where air masses meet, but do not mix and rain or storms occur.

cold front

warm front

The leading edge of a moving mass of cold air, brings thunderstorms, and leaves behind cooler air.

The leading edge of a moving mass of warm air, brings rain showers, leaves behind warmer air.

occluded front

stationary front

Where a cold front catches up to and overtakes a warm front.

When a cold and a warm air mass meet, but neither moves.

tornado

hurricane

A narrow, violent funnel cloud that may form during a thunderstorm with winds greater than 65 kph.

A large rotating windstorm with a calm central eye and winds greater than 75 mph.

meteorologist isobars

meteorology

A person who studies the weather.

The study of the earth’s atmosphere and what happens in it.

station model

rain gauge

A weather symbol that represents the state of the weather at a particular place.

A device used to measure the amount of precipitation in a given area.