FLVS Meteorology V21- Module 2
Temperature
A measure of how hot or cold something is.
model
A representation of an object or event
Symbol
A thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.
cumulus congestus
A towering cloud that has not fully developed into a thunderstorm
barometer
An instrument that measures atmospheric pressure
rain gauge
An instrument used to measure precipitation.
thermometer
An instrument used to measure temperature
anemometer
An instrument used to measure wind speed
satalite
Any object that orbits around another object in space
Altostratus
Clouds at mid-level that form a light sheet that lets the sun or moon show as a bright spot.
Nimbostratus
Clouds that are low-level, uniform layer, usually very dark, that bring strong precipitation
Polar Operational Environmental Satellite
Collect global data on a daily basis for a variety of land, ocean and atmoshperic applications via AVHRR
Stratocumulus
Low elevation layered clouds with tops and bottoms rounded
Altocumulus
Medium level cumulus cloud that is higher than regular cumulus clouds. Lead to precipitation.
atmospheric models
Simulation of the atmosphere's behavior by mathematical equations or by physical models.
Velocity
Speed in a given direction
National Weather Service
The federal agency that provides weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States.
Surface weather station model
The set of symbols that summarize the various data produced by a particular weather station.
cirrostratus clouds
Translucent, whiteish veil or fibrous or smooth appearance that partially or totally covers the sky. Capable of producing halos around sun or moon while not entirely hiding the light. If merged with altostratus, precipitation can form. abbr: Cs
cirrus clouds
Wispy, feathery clouds made of ice crystals that form at high levels.
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite
a NOAA satellite that acquires visible and thermal IR images for meteorologic purposes.
Cirrocumulus
a cloud at a high altitude consisting of a series of regularly arranged small clouds resembling ripples
weather station
a place where instruments gather information about the weather
RADAR
a system that uses reflected radio waves to detect objects and measure their distance and speed
unstable air
air that does not resist verticle displacement; if it is lifted, its temperature will not cool as rapidly as the surrounding environment, and so it will continue to rise on its own
stable air
air that resists vertical displacement; if it is lifted, adiabatic cooling will cause its temperature to be lower than the surrounding environment; if it is allowed, it will sink to its original position
cumulonimbus clouds
are thunderstorm clouds. High winds can flatten the top of the cloud into an anvil-like shape. Cumulonimbus clouds are associated with heavy rain, snow, hail, lightning and even tornadoes. The anvil usually points in the direction the storm is moving.
Upper air
consists of all anatomic airway structures above the level of the vocal cords, nose mouth jaw oral cavity pharynx and larynx
Base Reflectivity
energy reflected back to the radar
Storm Total Precipitation
estimate of heavy rains and/or total rainfall within a set period
trend forecasting
forecasting based on the speed and direction of features such as fronts, cyclones, clouds and precipitation - known as nowcasting
Persistence Forecasting
forecasting based on the tendency of weather to remain unchanged for several hours or days
stratus clouds
look like flat blankets and are usually the lowest clouds in the sky
Radiosondes
measure atmospheric characteristics like temperature, pressure and humidity as they move through the air
Sounders
measure infrared radiation and provide vertical profiles of temperature, pressure, and water vapor in the atmosphere
hygrometer
measures humidity
wind vane
measures wind direction
Forecasting
method for predicting how variables will change the future
Climatology
study of climate
Imagers
take high resolution pictures of either the reflected short wave radiation (visible images) or the emitted infrared radiation (infrared images)
buoyant
(adj.) able to float easily; able to hold things up; cheerful, hopeful
Analogue Forecasting
Find a date in the past where the weather map looks exactly as it does now. Also known as pattern matching. This is an okay method, because patterns are repeatable, but the outcome may not be the same. Works best with severe and winter weather! Forecaster must be experienced.
cumulus clouds
Fluffy, white clouds, usually with flat bottoms, that look like rounded piles of cotton.
Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP)
Forecasting the weather based upon the solutions of mathematical equations by high-speed computers.