Weather Vocabulary

Word Definition Image

wind the perceptible natural movement of the 

air, especially in the form of a current of 
air blowing from a particular direction.

anemometer an instrument for measuring the speed of 

the wind, or of any current of gas.

atmospheric the pressure exerted by the weight of the 

pressure atmosphere

density Density​ is a measurement that 

compares the amount of matter an 
object has to its volume.

sea level the level of the sea's surface, used in 

reckoning the height of geographical 
features such as hills and as a barometric 
standard.
barometer an instrument measuring atmospheric 
pressure, used especially in forecasting 
the weather and determining altitude.

convection cell a self-contained convective zone in a fluid 

in which upward motion of warmer fluid 
in the center is balanced by downward 
motion of cooler fluid at the periphery. 

prototype a first, typical or preliminary model of 

something, especially a machine, from 
which other forms are developed or 
copied 

dew point the atmospheric temperature (varying 

according to pressure and humidity) 
below which water droplets begin to 
condense and dew can form.

dew tiny drops of water that form on cool 

surfaces at night, when atmospheric 
vapor condenses.
water cycle the cycle of processes by which water 
circulates between the earth's oceans, 
atmosphere, and land, involving 
precipitation as rain and snow, drainage 
in streams and rivers, and return to the 
atmosphere by evaporation and 
transpiration.

ground water water held underground in the soil or in 

pores and crevices in rock.

transpiration of a plant or leaf) the exhalation of water 

vapor through the stomata.

evaporation the process of turning from liquid into 

vapor.

absolute Absolute humidity​ is the measure of 

humidity water vapor (​moisture​) in the air, 
regardless of temperature

relative the amount of water vapor present in air 

humidity expressed as a percentage of the amount 
needed for saturation at the same 
temperature.
crystallization Crystallization​ is the solidification of 
atoms or molecules into a highly 
structured form called a crystal

precipitation the action or process of precipitating a 

substance from a solution.

stationary front A stationary front is a pair of air masses, 

neither of which is strong enough to 
replace the other.

warm front the boundary of an advancing mass of 

warm air, in particular the leading edge of 
the warm sector of a low-pressure 
system.

occluded front a composite front produced by occlusion.

cold front the boundary of an advancing mass of 
cold air, in particular the trailing edge of 
the warm sector of a low-pressure 
system.

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 with horizontally uniform 

temperature, humidity, and pressure.

Low pressure A ​low pressure system​ has lower 

system pressure​ at its center than the areas 
around it. 

High pressure High​-​pressure systems​ are frequently 

system associated with light winds at the 
surface and subsidence through the 
lower portion of the troposphere

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 (of something bad or terrible 
thunderstorm a storm with thunder and lightning and 
typically also heavy rain or hail. 

severe weather Severe weather refers to any dangerous

meteorological phenomena with the
potential to cause damage, serious social
disruption, or loss of human life

blizzard a severe snowstorm with high winds and 

low visibility.

Heat index a measure indicating the level of 

discomfort the average person is thought 
to experience as a result of the combined 
effects of the temperature and humidity 
of the air.

Heat wave a prolonged period of abnormally hot 

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.