#separator:tab #html:false #tags column:4 Weather What the air outside is like at a certain time and place earth-weather Climate The average weather of a place over many years earth-weather Meteorologist A scientist who studies and forecasts weather earth-weather Atmosphere The layer of gases around Earth earth-weather Temperature How hot or cold something is earth-weather Humidity The amount of water vapor in the air earth-weather Precipitation Water falling from clouds: rain, snow, sleet or hail earth-weather Rain Liquid water drops falling from clouds earth-weather Snow Ice crystals that fall in flakes earth-weather Sleet Frozen raindrops earth-weather Hail Balls of ice that fall from thunderstorms earth-weather Freezing rain Rain that freezes on contact with cold surfaces earth-weather Fog A cloud at ground level earth-weather Dew Water droplets that condense on cool surfaces overnight earth-weather Frost Ice crystals on surfaces below freezing earth-weather Wind Moving air earth-weather Air pressure The weight of air pressing on the surface earth-weather High pressure Usually brings clear, calm weather earth-weather Low pressure Usually brings clouds and storms earth-weather Front The boundary between two air masses earth-weather Cold front Cold air pushes under warm air, often bringing storms earth-weather Warm front Warm air slides over cold air, often bringing steady rain earth-weather Stationary front A front that stays in the same place earth-weather Air mass A large body of air with similar temperature and moisture earth-weather Thunderstorm A storm with thunder, lightning and heavy rain earth-weather Lightning A giant spark of electricity in the sky earth-weather Thunder The sound made by lightning heating the air earth-weather Tornado A rotating column of air that touches the ground earth-weather Hurricane A huge tropical storm with strong winds earth-weather Typhoon Name for a hurricane in the western Pacific earth-weather Cyclone Name for a hurricane in the Indian Ocean earth-weather Blizzard A snowstorm with strong wind and low visibility earth-weather Drought A long time with little rain earth-weather Flood Water covering land that is usually dry earth-weather Heat wave A long period of unusually hot weather earth-weather Monsoon A seasonal wind that brings heavy rains earth-weather Tropical storm A storm with winds of 39 to 73 miles per hour earth-weather Eye of a hurricane The calm center earth-weather Storm surge A rise of sea water pushed ashore by a storm earth-weather Water cycle Water moving through evaporation, condensation and precipitation earth-weather Evaporation Liquid water turning into vapor earth-weather Condensation Water vapor turning into liquid earth-weather Dew point The temperature at which air becomes saturated and dew forms earth-weather Forecast A prediction of future weather earth-weather Thermometer Measures temperature earth-weather Barometer Measures air pressure earth-weather Anemometer Measures wind speed earth-weather Wind vane Shows wind direction earth-weather Rain gauge Measures rainfall earth-weather Hygrometer Measures humidity earth-weather Weather balloon A balloon carrying instruments up into the air earth-weather Doppler radar Radar that detects rain and storm movement earth-weather Satellite A spacecraft that photographs clouds and weather from above earth-weather Beaufort scale A scale for describing wind strength earth-weather Saffir-Simpson scale Rates hurricanes from category 1 to 5 earth-weather Enhanced Fujita scale Rates tornado damage from EF0 to EF5 earth-weather Celsius A temperature scale where water freezes at 0 and boils at 100 earth-weather Fahrenheit A temperature scale where water freezes at 32 and boils at 212 earth-weather Jet stream A fast narrow current of wind high in the atmosphere earth-weather Coriolis effect The turning of winds and currents caused by Earth's rotation earth-weather El Nino A pattern of warmer than normal Pacific Ocean water that changes weather worldwide earth-weather Rainbow Arc of colors made when sunlight passes through water drops earth-weather Microclimate The climate of a small area that differs from nearby areas earth-weather Lake-effect snow Snow made when cold air passes over warm lake water earth-weather