Weather Vocabulary Words

Accumulation / The amount of precipitation
Air Mass / Large bodies of air covering land and ocean areas
Air Pollution / Gasses and solids in the air that are not normally there, which makes the air less healthy for living things
Air Pressure / Particles of air pushing down on the Earth’s surface. It is affect by two things 1) amount of air above it and 2) temperature
Atmosphere / The layer of air (gas) that surrounds the Earth
Cirrus Clouds / Feathery, white clouds made of ice crystals. The highest clouds
Climate / A region’s regular pattern of weather over a long period of time
Cold Front / Is formed when cold air mass meets up with a warm air mass. The denser, cooler air pushes the warmer air upwards at a rapid pace. Temperatures will drop
Condensation / When water vapor rises, cools, and changes from a gas to a liquid
Cumulonimbus Cloud / Large storm clouds that reach high up in the air
Cumulus Clouds / Large, puffy, white clouds that look like cotton balls
Evaporation / The process by which a liquid changes to a gas
Forecast / Predictions about the upcoming weather
Front / The boundary where two different air masses meet (There are three different types: warm, cold, and occluded)
Global Warming / The slow increase of the average temperature of Earth’s atmosphere
Groundwater / Water that collects above the rock layer and moves like an underground river
Humidity / Moisture (water vapor) in the atmosphere
Land Breeze / At night, land rapidly loses its heat. Water cools off more slowly. Warmer air rises above the water and is replaced by cooler air form above land
Meteorologist / A scientist that studies and measures the weather conditions
Meteorology / The study of weather
Occluded Front / Is formed when a cold front overtakes a warm front. Has characteristics of both a warm and cold front
Precipitation / When water droplets fall from the sky. Can fall as rain, sleet, snow or hail.
Runoff / Precipitation that runs across the land and falls into rivers or streams
Sea Breeze / During a hot day, land heats faster than water. Air above the land warms and cool air over the water replaces it, causing a cool breeze
Stationary Front / A front that stops moving for a few hours or as long as a few days
Stratus Clouds / Flat layers of gray clouds that seem to “blanket” the Earth. They allow no or very little sunlight to get through. These type of clouds that form close to the ground are called fog
Temperature / The warmth or coldness of air or other matter
Thermometer / The instrument used to measure temperature
Transpiration / The process by which plants lose water out of their leaves (stoma openings) and into the air
Warm Front / Is formed when a warm air mass meets up with cold air mass. Warm air rises above the cold air mass in a gently sloping effect. Temperatures will rise
Water Cycle / The continuous movement of water between Earth’s surface and the air, changing from liquid to gas to liquid
Weather / The conditions of the air in a particular place at a specific time (Can change very frequently during the day or even by the hour)
Wind / Air on the move