Download Weather Vocabulary - HopewellHoneybees

Weather Vocabulary
evaporation
the process in which
liquid water changes
into invisible water
vapor/gas
condensation
the process in which
water vapor changes
into liquid water
precipitation
water falling from
clouds in any form,
such as snow, ice,
raindrops, or drizzle
water cycle
cycle in which water
moves through the
environment through the
processes of evaporation,
condensation, and
precipitation
air pressure
the measure of the
weight of air pressing
down on a given area
of Earth’s surface
high
pressure
an area of higher air
pressure, generally
associated with clear
weather
low pressure
an area of lower air
pressure, generally
associated with wet or
overcast weather
predictions
to declare in advance
temperature
a degree of hotness or
coldness measured in
either Celsius or
Fahrenheit scales
wind
direction
the direction from
which the wind blows
(determined using a
weather vane)
wind speed
how fast the wind is
blowing (determined
using an anemometer)
wind
moving air; caused by
differences in air
pressure
cloud
cirrus
stratus
group of tiny liquid
droplets hanging
in the air
wispy, feathery clouds
made of ice crystals
sheet-like clouds
covering the sky
cumulus
puffy clouds brining
fair weather
water vapor
water in the form
of a gas
(example – steam)
climate
the general pattern of
weather in a particular
place over a long
period of time
temperate
a mid-latitude climate
that has seasons
tropical
storm
a tropical cyclone with
strong winds that are
of less intensity than a
hurricane
meteorologist
a specialist in the
science that deals with
the atmosphere and
the science that deals
with weather and
weather forecasting
graduated
cylinder
thermometer
rain gauge
a narrow container
used to measure the
volume of liquids
device used to
measure temperature
an instrument used to
measure precipitation
barometer
instrument used to
measure air pressure
humidity
amount of moisture in
the air
moisture
atmospheric water
vapor (seen as fog or
dew)
dew point
latitude
longitude
air temperature at
which dew will form
under certain
conditions
distance of a place
north or south of the
equator, affects the
temperatures that
commonly occur in an
area
system of imaginary
half-circles on Earth’s
surface that end at the
poles, used to describe
position east and west
elevation
distance of a place
above sea level,
affects an area’s
temperature
altitude
height above sea level
topographic
map
map that shows the
shape and elevation of
the land using contour
lines, and shows other
land features using
symbols and colors
global winds
a wind that blows
steadily in the same
direction across
thousands of
kilometers
ocean
currents
flow of water within
the ocean that moves
in a regular pattern
topography
shape of the land, can
affect the amount of
precipitation an area
receives
air mass
front
convection
large body of air that
has about the same
temperature and
humidity throughout it
place where two air
masses of different
temperatures and
pressures meet
transfer of heat in a
fluid through currents,
in which warmer fluid
rises and cooler fluid
sinks
convection
cell
part of the atmosphere
where air moves in a
circular pattern
because of unequal
heating and cooling
radiation
transfer of energy in
the form of
electromagnetic waves
sea breeze
a wind that blows from
the sea toward the
land
land breeze
a wind that blows from
land toward water
solid
matter that has a
definite shape and
volume
liquid
matter that has a
definite volume but
not a definite shape
gas
matter that has no
definite volume or
shape
Fahrenheit
temperature scale
commonly used in the
United States; freezing
point of water is 32°
and boiling point is
212°
Celsius
temperature scale in
which the freezing
point of water is 0°
and the boiling point
of water is 100°
prevailing
wind
anemometer
hurricane
a mid-latitude global
wind that blows mostly
in one direction
instrument to measure
wind speed
a huge, slowlyspinning tropical storm
that forms over water
and has winds of at
least 119 km/h
(74 mph)
tornado
atmosphere
troposphere
small, destructive,
whirling, fast-moving
storm that forms over
land
layers of air
surrounding Earth
lowest layer of Earth’s
atmosphere; nearly all
weather takes place
here