Weather Vocabulary Flashcards
Cloud
A visible mass of condensed water vapor floating in the atmosphere.
Drought
A prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall.
Front
A boundary separating two masses of air of different densities.
Humidity
a quantity representing the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere or a gas.
Air pressure
The force exerted onto a surface by the weight of the air.
Atmosphere
The envelope of gases surrounding the earth or another planet.
Barometer
An instrument measuring atmospheric pressure.
Barometric Pressure
The pressure exerted by the weight of air.
Celsius
A metric scale and unit of measurement for temperature.
Climate
The weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period.
Cumulonimbus cloud
A dense towering vertical cloud associated with thunderstorms and atmospheric instability.
Cumulus cloud
Often described as “puffy”, “cotton-like” or “fluffy” in appearance.
Dew Point
The atmospheric temperature (varying according to pressure and humidity) below which water droplets begin to condense and dew can form.
Freezing Point
The temperature at which a liquid turns into a solid when cooled.
Funnel Cloud
A rotating funnel-shaped cloud forming the core of a tornado or waterspout.
Global Warming
a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth’s atmosphere
Hail
pellets of frozen rain that fall in showers from cumulonimbus clouds.
meteorology
the branch of science concerned with the processes and phenomena of the atmosphere
Hurricane
A storm with a violent wind, in particular a tropical cyclone in the Caribbean.
Precipitation
rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground.
Thunder
a loud rumbling or crashing noise heard after a lightning flash due to the expansion of rapidly heated air.
Thunderstorm
a storm with thunder and lightning and typically also heavy rain or hail.
Tornado
a mobile, destructive vortex of violently rotating winds having the appearance of a funnel-shaped cloud and advancing beneath a large storm system.
Tropical Depression
an atmospheric low-pressure system originating in the tropics
