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ci | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A genus of cloud characterized by thin, wispy, feather-like strands that appear white or light grey in color and form at very high altitudes, usually between 5 and 13.7 km (16,000 and 45,000 ft) above sea level. Cirrus clouds often develop from the outflow of cumulonimbus clouds in advance of fronts or thunderstorms, and therefore may indicate the imminent arrival of precipitation. |
clear ice | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A type of solid precipitation which forms when relatively large drops of water are supercooled into a dense, transparent coating of ice without air or other impurities. It is similar to glaze and hard rime and, when formed on the ground, is often called black ice. |
climate | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The statistics of weather in a given region over long periods of time, measured by assessing long-term patterns of variation in temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, wind, precipitation, and other meteorological variables. The climate of a particular location is generated by the interactions of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere and strongly influenced by latitude, altitude, and local topography. Climates are often classified according to the averages or typical ranges of different variables, most commonly temperature and precipitation. |
climatology | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A branch of the atmospheric sciences that studies climate, defined as weather conditions averaged over an extended to indefinite period of time. Climatology incorporates aspects of oceanography, geology, biogeochemistry, and the related field of meteorology to understand the long-term dynamics of climate-influencing phenomena and to produce climate models which can be used to estimate past climates and predict future climates. |
cloud | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An aerosol consisting of a visible mass of minute liquid droplets, frozen crystals or other particles suspended in the atmosphere. Water or various other chemicals may compose the droplets and crystals. On Earth, clouds are formed as a result of the saturation of an air mass when it is cooled to its dew point or when it gains sufficient moisture (usually in the form of water vapor) from an adjacent source to raise the dew point to the ambient temperature. There are many different types of clouds, which are classified and named according to their shape and altitude. |
cloud atlas | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A pictorial key to the classification and nomenclature of clouds. |
cloud base | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The lowest altitude of the visible portion of a cloud. |
cloud bow | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See fogbow. |
cloud cover | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The obscuration of all or part of the sky by clouds as observed from a particular location, or the specific fraction of the sky obscured by clouds as measured in oktas. |
cloud genus | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See cloud type. |
cloud iridescence | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A type of photometeor consisting of colorful iridescent patterns appearing most commonly near the semi-transparent edges of thin clouds such as cirrus and altocumulus that are in the general proximity of the Sun or Moon. They are caused by the diffraction of sunlight or moonlight by thin, uniform layers of very small water droplets or ice crystals. |
cloud species | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any of a set of 14 Latin terms used to describe the shape and internal structure of tropospheric clouds. Cloud species are subdivisions of cloud genera and are themselves further subdivided into cloud varieties. |
cloud type | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any of a set of Latin names used to classify and identify clouds occurring in the troposphere, typically by characteristics such as their altitude, shape, and convective activity. A set of 10 or 12 traditional cloud types defined by the World Meteorological Organization and further subdivided into cloud species and cloud varieties is widely used in meteorology. Other classification systems have proposed many additional types. |
cloudburst | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A colloquial term used to describe an excessive precipitation event, characterized by brief, sudden, exceptionally heavy rain and/or hail falling from a cloud, typically as part of a thunderstorm associated with violent upward and downward convective currents. |
col | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The point of intersection of a trough and a ridge in the pressure pattern of a weather map. It generally takes the shape of a saddle in which the air pressure is slightly higher than that within the low-pressure regions but still lower than that within the anticyclonic zones. |
cold front | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A type of front located at the leading edge of a cooler air mass as it replaces a warmer air mass. Cold fronts lie within a sharp surface trough of low pressure and the temperature difference between the air masses they separate can exceed 30 °C (86 °F). When enough moisture or instability is present, lines of rain or thunderstorms may accompany the boundary as it moves. In surface weather analysis, cold fronts are symbolized by a blue line with triangles pointing in the direction of travel. |
cold wave | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A period of weather characterized by excessively low temperatures, which may or may not also be accompanied by changes in humidity. Very cold weather is often only referred to as a cold wave if the temperature, or the rate at which the temperature decreases within a given time period, is abnormal relative to the typical climate for a given location during a given season. Contrast heat wave. |
colorado low | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A type of low-pressure area that forms in southeastern Colorado or northeastern New Mexico, in the United States, and then proceeds to move east across the Great Plains, often producing heavy snow and ice when occurring in the winter. |
convection | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See atmospheric convection. |
convective instability | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The inability of an air mass to resist vertical motion. In a stable atmosphere vertical movement of air is generally difficult, whereas in an unstable atmosphere vertical disturbances can be quite exaggerated, resulting in turbulent airflow and convective activity that may lead to extensive vertical clouds, storms, and severe weather. |
convergence | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A pattern of fluid flow that brings about a net inflow of fluid elements into a region, in either the atmosphere or the ocean, accompanied by compensating vertical motion. When convergence occurs in the lower atmosphere, generally below about 550 hectopascals (0.54 atm), the compensatory air motion is upward, with inflow gradually changing to outflow at higher altitudes; when it occurs in the upper atmosphere, the air motion is downward, with divergence near the surface. |
crosswind | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any wind that moves in a direction that is perpendicular to the direction of travel of a reference object, such as an airplane. |
crow instability | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An inviscid line-vortex instability most commonly observed in the skies behind large aircraft such as the Boeing 747. It occurs when the wingtip vortices interact with contrails from the engines, producing characteristic visual distortions in the shapes of the contrails. |
cumuliform | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Of or relating to heaped, "puffy" clouds, such as cumulus or cumulonimbus, that form as a result of atmospheric convection. |
cumulus | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A genus of cloud characterized by low-level "puffy" or "cotton-like" forms with flat bases (generally opaque white in color but sometimes with grey undersides), which occur individually or multiply in a variety of distinct subforms, usually at altitudes less than 2 km (6,600 ft) above sea level. Cumulus clouds normally produce little or no precipitation, but can develop into precipitation-bearing clouds such as cumulonimbus when influenced by atmospheric instability, moisture, and temperature gradients. |
cu | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A genus of cloud characterized by low-level "puffy" or "cotton-like" forms with flat bases (generally opaque white in color but sometimes with grey undersides), which occur individually or multiply in a variety of distinct subforms, usually at altitudes less than 2 km (6,600 ft) above sea level. Cumulus clouds normally produce little or no precipitation, but can develop into precipitation-bearing clouds such as cumulonimbus when influenced by atmospheric instability, moisture, and temperature gradients. |
cyclone | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any large-scale air mass characterized by inward spiraling winds which circulate around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure. Cyclones can form over land or water, can vary in size from mesocyclones such as tornadoes to synoptic-scale phenomena such as tropical cyclones and polar vortices, and may transition between tropical, subtropical, and extratropical phases. Contrast anticyclone. |
cyclogenesis | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The development or strengthening of a cyclonic circulation in the atmosphere. Cyclogenesis may refer to a number of different processes that occur under a variety of conditions and at a variety of scales, all of which result in the formation of some sort of cyclone; for instance, tornadoes are a type of mesocyclone whose development may be variously described as cyclogenesis or, more specifically, tornadogenesis. Contrast anticyclogenesis. |
dark adaptor goggles | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A type of specialized eyewear used by meteorologists and astronomers for adapting the eyes to the dark prior to an observation made at night, or for aiding with identification of clouds during bright sunshine or when there is a glare from snow. |
dawn | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The first appearance of sunlight in the eastern sky before sunrise, or the time that marks the beginning of the morning twilight. |
daytime | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The period of the day between sunrise and sunset, during which any given point on the Earth experiences natural illumination from especially direct sunlight, known as daylight. |
dbz | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Abbreviation of decibel relative to Z |
debris cloud | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See tornado debris signature. |
deepening | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A decrease in the central and surrounding sea-level pressure within the circulation of a pressure system (usually a low-pressure system) over a short period of time, with the result that mass is exported from the total air column overlying the system faster than it is supplied. Deepening of a low is commonly accompanied by the intensification of its cyclonic circulation and hence its winds, and the term is frequently used to imply cyclogenesis. Contrast filling. |
deformation | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The rate of change of shape of a fluid body such as an air mass. This quantity is very important in the formation of atmospheric fronts, in the explanation of cloud shapes, and in the diffusion of materials and properties through the atmosphere. |
degree-day | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A measure of the difference between the mean daily temperature and a specified reference temperature for a given day. For a specified period, e.g. a month or a year, the number of degree-days is the sum of all degree-days within that period. |
dense fog | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An advisory issued by the U.S. National Weather Service to caution the public about the possibility that horizontal visibility may be reduced by dense fog to 0.25 miles (0.40 km) or less. |
depression | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any area of low atmospheric pressure at a given level in the atmosphere; i.e. a "low" or trough. The term is used especially frequently to refer to an early stage in the development of a tropical cyclone during which the disturbance is only weakly developed or poorly organized; see tropical depression. |
derecho | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A type of storm that produces widespread, straight-lined sustained winds that are associated with severe thunderstorms. |
dew | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Liquid water droplets that commonly appear on thin, exposed surfaces in the morning or evening due to the condensation of atmospheric moisture on radiatively cooled surfaces. When temperatures are low enough, the water droplets freeze into ice particles known as frost. |
dew point | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The temperature to which an air parcel must be cooled, at constant pressure and moisture content, in order for saturation to occur. Continued cooling below the dew point will cause condensation of water droplets if atmospheric conditions are favorable. Dew point is often used as a proxy by which to indicate the moisture content of the air. |
td | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The temperature to which an air parcel must be cooled, at constant pressure and moisture content, in order for saturation to occur. Continued cooling below the dew point will cause condensation of water droplets if atmospheric conditions are favorable. Dew point is often used as a proxy by which to indicate the moisture content of the air. |
dew point depression | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The difference between the actual temperature and the dew point at a certain altitude in the atmosphere. A small dew point depression indicates more moisture and higher relative humidity, which in the lower troposphere can result in low cloud bases and lifted condensation levels, which are important factors contributing to the development of severe thunderstorms. |
t–td | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The difference between the actual temperature and the dew point at a certain altitude in the atmosphere. A small dew point depression indicates more moisture and higher relative humidity, which in the lower troposphere can result in low cloud bases and lifted condensation levels, which are important factors contributing to the development of severe thunderstorms. |
diabatic process | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any thermodynamic process in which the temperature of an air parcel changes as a result of the transfer of energy (e.g. heat) between the parcel and its surroundings, as opposed to an adiabatic process, in which the temperature changes without any such exchange. Most thermodynamic processes near the Earth's surface are diabatic, owing to the continual mixing of air and turbulence. |
diamond dust | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A ground-level cloud composed of tiny ice crystals. Because it generally forms in sub-freezing temperatures beneath otherwise clear or nearly clear skies, diamond dust is sometimes referred to as clear-sky precipitation. |
diffluence | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The elongation of a fluid body, such as an air mass, normal to the flow (streamline divergence). It is a flow pattern of deformation. |
diffuse sky radiation | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The component of incoming solar radiation that is scattered from the direct solar beam by molecules of air, aerosols, clouds, or particulate matter in the atmosphere and subsequently reaches the Earth's surface in nearly equal amounts from nearly all parts of the sky during daylight. |
direct circulation | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A closed, vertically distributed thermal circulation in the atmosphere, in which warm, lighter air rises and cold, denser air sinks (or, equivalently, a system in which the rising motion occurs at a higher potential temperature than the sinking motion). Such a cell converts heat energy to potential energy and then to kinetic energy. Contrast indirect circulation. |
discontinuity | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A horizontal zone across which temperature, humidity, wind speed, or any other meteorological variable changes abruptly, such as a front. |
disdrometer | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A scientific instrument used to measure the size distribution and velocity of falling hydrometeors such as raindrops. |
diurnal | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Occurring or varying in the course of a solar day (i.e. daily; completed within and recurring every 24 hours), or during the local daytime. |
diurnal variation | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The range between the maximum and minimum values of a meteorological quantity (e.g. temperature, pressure, relative humidity) observed during the course of a solar day. |
dobson unit | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A unit of measurement used to describe the quantity of a trace gas (primarily atmospheric ozone concentrations) present in a vertical column of the atmosphere. It is defined as the thickness (in units equivalent to 10 μm) of the layer of pure gas which would be formed if all of the gas molecules in the column could be collected on the surface at standard temperature and pressure. |
du | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A unit of measurement used to describe the quantity of a trace gas (primarily atmospheric ozone concentrations) present in a vertical column of the atmosphere. It is defined as the thickness (in units equivalent to 10 μm) of the layer of pure gas which would be formed if all of the gas molecules in the column could be collected on the surface at standard temperature and pressure. |
doldrums | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See Intertropical Convergence Zone. |
downburst | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A surface-level wind system that emanates from an elevated point source and blows radially in all directions upon making contact with the ground. Downbursts are created when rain-cooled air descends rapidly, and can produce very strong damaging winds. They are often confused with tornadoes, although a tornado causes air to move inward and upward whereas a downburst directs it downward and outward. Microbursts, macrobursts, and heat bursts are all types of downburst. |
drifting snow | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Particles of snow lifted by the wind to a modest height, generally less than 1.8 metres (6 ft) above the ground. Drifting snow does not significantly reduce visibility at eye level below 10 kilometres (6.2 mi), in contrast to blowing snow. |
drizzle | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A type of light precipitation consisting of liquid water droplets which are smaller than ordinary raindrops, generally less than 0.05 millimetres (0.002 in) in diameter and falling at a rate of less than 1 millimetre (0.04 in) per day. |
drought | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any prolonged period of below-average precipitation in a given region that results in shortages in the local water supply, whether of atmospheric, surface water, or ground water. Droughts can last for months or even years, and may be declared after as few as 15 days; annual or seasonal decreases in precipitation, such as dry seasons in the tropics, are sometimes called droughts, though a true drought is by definition abnormal or irregular. Drought conditions result from the confluence of a wide variety of climatic factors and may be exacerbated by hot temperatures; in turn, droughts may increase the likelihood of wildfires. |
dry lightning | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Lightning associated with a dry thunderstorm. |
dry punch | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Meteorological slang for a synoptic-scale or mesoscale weather process. A dry punch that occurs near the Earth's surface may result in a dry line bulge, whereas a dry punch aloft may increase the potential for severe thunderstorms. |
dry season | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An annual period of relatively low or infrequent precipitation, during which weather patterns are typically dominated by lengthy periods of high atmospheric pressure, high temperatures, and low humidity. The term is primarily used in the tropics, in contrast to the wet season. |
dry thunderstorm | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A thunderstorm that produces thunder and lightning but in which most or all of its precipitation evaporates before reaching the ground. Dry thunderstorms occur necessarily in dry conditions, and their lightning strikes, sometimes referred to as dry lightning, are a major cause of wildfires. |
dust storm | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A meteorological phenomenon characterized by very strong winds that blow dust-filled air over an extensive area. Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose dirt, sand, and/or small rocks from a dry surface into the atmosphere, drastically reducing visibility. Though the term is sometimes restricted to storms occurring over normally arable land suffering from drought, it is also used interchangeably with sandstorm and haboob. |
echo | Space and Astronomy | 1 | On a radar display, the appearance of the radio signal that is scattered or reflected back from a target. The distinct characteristics of a radar echo can be used to identify the distance and velocity of the target with respect to the signal source as well as the target's size, shape, and composition. |
eddy | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The swirling motion of a fluid and the reverse current created when the flow regime experiences turbulence, such as when an obstacle blocks part of the path of flow. |
ekman layer | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The layer in a fluid in which there is a force balance between the pressure-gradient force, the Coriolis force, and turbulent drag. Ekman layers occur in both the atmosphere and the ocean. |
el niño | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The warm phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), associated with the annual development of a band of warm ocean water in the eastern equatorial Pacific, which brings low pressure and heavy rainfall to the coasts of Central and South America. The El Niño phase of the cycle may last between two and seven years, with local weather patterns recurring every year. The cool phase of the ENSO is called La Niña. |
el niño–southern oscillation | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An irregular long-term periodic variation in winds and sea surface temperatures over the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean which affects the climate of most of the world but especially the tropics and subtropics in a cycle lasting years or decades. The phenomenon, a consequence of the Walker circulation, is marked by two phases: a warming phase, El Niño, during which sea temperatures are above average over a large part of the eastern Pacific Ocean, driving high pressure and dry weather in Asia and low pressure and heavy precipitation in the Americas; and a cooling phase, La Niña, during which sea temperatures are below average in the eastern Pacific and the reverse weather pattern occurs. Each phase can last for several years, with local seasonal weather patterns recurring predictably, though there are also long intervals of "neutral" or average conditions when neither El Niño nor La Niña is active. |
enso | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An irregular long-term periodic variation in winds and sea surface temperatures over the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean which affects the climate of most of the world but especially the tropics and subtropics in a cycle lasting years or decades. The phenomenon, a consequence of the Walker circulation, is marked by two phases: a warming phase, El Niño, during which sea temperatures are above average over a large part of the eastern Pacific Ocean, driving high pressure and dry weather in Asia and low pressure and heavy precipitation in the Americas; and a cooling phase, La Niña, during which sea temperatures are below average in the eastern Pacific and the reverse weather pattern occurs. Each phase can last for several years, with local seasonal weather patterns recurring predictably, though there are also long intervals of "neutral" or average conditions when neither El Niño nor La Niña is active. |
electrometeor | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any visible or audible indicator of atmospheric electricity, including all types of lightning discharges, thunder, and aurorae. |
emagram | Space and Astronomy | 1 | One of four thermodynamic diagrams used to display temperature lapse rate and moisture content profiles in the atmosphere. Emagrams have axes of temperature (T) and pressure (p). Temperature and dew point data from radiosondes are plotted on these diagrams to allow calculations of convective stability or convective available potential energy. |
ensemble forecasting | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A weather forecasting technique in which a numerical weather model generates a set of multiple (often several dozen) forecasts, each based on a slightly different set of initial atmospheric conditions, intended to provide an indication of the range of possible future states of the atmosphere. If the forecasts are consistent, they are usually considered reliable; if they diverge, meteorologists may feel less confident in making specific predictions for the forecast area. |
entrainment | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The process by which the air surrounding a developing cloud is mixed into an ascending convection current within the cloud, which has the effect of reducing the current's buoyancy. If very dry air is introduced, evaporation of the cloud droplets may cause the cloud system to dissipate completely. |
environmental lapse rate | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The actual rate at which atmospheric temperature changes with altitude, as measured by a radiosonde; this is in contrast to the rate predicted by the theoretical process lapse rate. On average, the temperature of the troposphere decreases with height at a rate of 6.5 °C (11.7 °F) per kilometre, but this rate is influenced by many factors. In general, the ELR is lower nearer to the ground surface, during the local winter, and over continental landmasses. |
elr | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The actual rate at which atmospheric temperature changes with altitude, as measured by a radiosonde; this is in contrast to the rate predicted by the theoretical process lapse rate. On average, the temperature of the troposphere decreases with height at a rate of 6.5 °C (11.7 °F) per kilometre, but this rate is influenced by many factors. In general, the ELR is lower nearer to the ground surface, during the local winter, and over continental landmasses. |
environmental science services administration | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The predecessor agency (1965–1970) to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (1970–present). |
essa | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The predecessor agency (1965–1970) to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (1970–present). |
equivalent temperature | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The temperature obtained when an air parcel expands adiabatically, at constant pressure, until its water vapor content has been condensed out and the latent heat of condensation is available to raise the air temperature. |
evaporimeter | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An instrument used to measure the rate of evaporation of water into the atmosphere. The most basic design consists of an open, ground-level evaporation pan from which water is allowed to evaporate freely. |
extreme weather | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any weather that is unexpected, unusual, unpredictable, unseasonal, or especially severe (i.e. weather at the extremes of an historical distribution). |
eye | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A typically circular region at the center of a strong tropical cyclone that is the location of the storm's lowest barometric pressure. The eye is usually characterized by light winds, clear skies, and mostly calm weather, in stark contrast to the severe weather that occurs in the surrounding eyewall and the rest of the storm. |
eye of the wind | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A nautical term used to describe the direction from which the wind is blowing. |
fall wind | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See katabatic wind. |
fetch | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The length of water over which a given wind blows. Fetch length and wind speed together determine the size of the waves that form on the surface of a body of water; the longer the fetch and the stronger the wind, the more wind energy is imparted to the water surface and the larger the resulting sea state. |
field mill | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A scientific instrument used to measure the strength of electric fields in the atmosphere. |
fire whirl | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A whirlwind induced by a fire and often at least partially composed of flame or ash. They are usually associated with very large wildfires. Fire whirls are seldom classified as true tornadoes, as their vorticity usually derives from turbulent surface winds and heat-induced lifting rather than from a tornadic mesocyclone aloft. |
firestorm | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A very large wildfire or other conflagration which because of its intensity is able to create and sustain its own storm-force winds. Firestorms develop when a convective updraft of hot air rising from the burning area draws in strong wind gusts from all directions, which supply the fire with additional oxygen and thereby induce further combustion. They are often associated with flammagenitus clouds and fire whirls. |
flash flood | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any flood which very rapidly inundates low-lying areas such as washes, rivers, dry lakes, and basins, especially one which recedes again in less than six hours. Flash flooding can be caused by heavy rain associated with severe weather, large amounts of meltwater from melting ice or snow, or the sudden collapse of a natural ice or debris dam. |
flash freezing | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The process by which objects such as liquid hydrometeors are cooled below their freezing point very quickly, typically upon being subjected to extremely cold atmospheric temperatures or by making contact with a frozen surface. |
flood | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An overflow of water which submerges land that is usually dry. Flooding may occur when water bodies such as rivers, lakes, or oceans escape their boundaries by overtopping or puncturing levees, or it may occur when precipitation accumulates on saturated ground more rapidly than it can either infiltrate or run off. |
fog | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A visible aerosol of minute water droplets or ice crystals that is suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. Fog is often considered a type of low-lying cloud and is heavily influenced by local topography, nearby bodies of water, and wind conditions. |
fogbow | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An optical phenomenon in which a whitish or faintly colored primary rainbow, often with red and blue edges, is visible on a background of fog or mist at the observer's anti-solar point. It is caused by the refraction, reflection, and diffraction of light from the Sun or Moon by small water droplets with diameters less than 100 micrometres (0.004 in). |
föhn wind | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A type of warm, dry, downslope wind that occurs in the lee of a mountain range. |
fractus | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A cloud type or species consisting of ragged, irregularly shaped patches or shreds of cumulus or stratus. |
fr | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A cloud type or species consisting of ragged, irregularly shaped patches or shreds of cumulus or stratus. |
freezing drizzle | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A type of precipitation in which drizzle consisting of supercooled liquid water droplets, often falling through a temperature inversion in the lower atmosphere, freezes upon impact with the ground or other cold surfaces to form a coat of glaze ice. Compare freezing rain. |
freezing fog | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A condition in which supercooled water droplets comprising fog freeze either while suspended in the air, filling the air with visible ice crystals similar to very light snow, or upon contact with sub-freezing surfaces, forming a coating of rime and/or glaze ice. |
freezing rain | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Liquid droplets of rain that become supercooled while falling through a sub-freezing air mass and then freeze upon impact with any surface they encounter; the resulting glaze ice can accumulate to a thickness of several centimeters. Unlike mixed rain and snow, ice pellets, and hail, freezing rain exists entirely as a liquid until it hits a surface. |
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