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rain | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A type of precipitation that occurs when liquid water in the form of droplets condenses from atmospheric water vapor, becoming heavy enough to fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. |
rainband | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A cloud and precipitation structure associated with an elongated area of rainfall and generated by differences in temperature. Rainbands may develop as squall lines ahead of cold fronts; tropical cyclones are usually composed of multiple curved rainbands. |
rainbow | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An optical phenomenon that takes the form of a circular arc of light separated into concentric colored bands consisting of all of the individual colors of the visible spectrum, which occurs when sunlight is refracted as it passes through water droplets in the atmosphere and is then reflected from the rear of the droplets. In a primary bow, usually appearing with an angular distance of 42° centered on the anti-solar point, the color separation produces a spectrum with red on the outer edge of the arc and violet on the inner edge; a secondary bow, with an angular distance of 51°, is also sometimes visible, but the colors are typically much dimmer and appear in the reverse order. |
rainy season | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An annually recurring period of one or more months during which precipitation, particularly rainfall, is at or near its average annual maximum for a certain region. The term is used especially in tropical climates, where the rainy season contrasts with the dry season. |
rain and snow mixed | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A class of precipitation composed of both rain and snow, the latter usually partially melted, that is reported in some weather observation formats. It usually occurs only briefly at any one location as a transition phase from rain to snow or vice versa. |
rain gauge | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An instrument used to collect and measure the amount of liquid precipitation that occurs within a certain area over a certain period of time. |
rain shadow | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A relatively and consistently dry area on the leeward side of a significant geographic uplift such as a mountain range. Rain shadows exist because the uplift acts as a barrier to the passage of precipitation-producing weather systems: moist air masses crossing high elevations are forced upward by orographic lift, which causes the moisture to condense and precipitate on the windward side, leaving the air depleted of moisture by the time it reaches the leeward side. |
rain showers | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Short, intense periods of rainfall, especially when occurring in widely scattered locations. |
ravine wind | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A local wind generated as a result of a pressure gradient between two ends of a narrow valley, blowing from higher to lower pressure (usually in the downstream direction), with its velocity increased by the funneling effect of the ravine itself. |
rawinsonde | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A type of balloon-borne radiosonde that is tracked using position change as determined by radar or radiotheodolite in order to specifically measure wind speed and direction aloft, and sometimes also other meteorological variables. |
regional forecast | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A weather forecast for a specified geographic region, usually a wider area than that covered by a local forecast. |
remote sensing | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon without making physical contact with the object and thus in contrast to on-site observation. In meteorology, satellite- or aircraft-based sensor technologies are widely used to detect and classify objects on the surface or within the atmosphere or oceans based on propagated electromagnetic signals. |
reshabar | Space and Astronomy | 1 | 1. A strong northwesterly wind that blows across the Caucasus Mountains from the Black Sea in the west to the Caspian Sea in the east. |
retrogression | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any motion of an atmospheric wave or pressure system that opposes, or occurs in a direction opposite to, the normal or typical flow in which it is embedded, e.g. a situation in which Rossby waves move westward, contrary to the generally westerly winds flowing through the pattern. |
ridge | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An elongated region of relatively high atmospheric pressure, almost always associated with an area of maximum anticyclonic curvature of wind flow. Ridges may exist at the surface or aloft or both; they may contain the closed circulation of a distinct high-pressure area, and a high may have one or more distinct ridges. Under certain conditions, ridges may alternate with troughs in a high-amplitude pattern. |
rime | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A coating of ice on the surface of an object. See hard rime and soft rime. |
rocketsonde | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A type of radiosonde that is transported into the upper atmosphere, e.g. the thermosphere, by rocket propulsion before being ejected and descending to the Earth's surface by parachute. Rocketsondes are used to make soundings at altitudes much higher than can usually be obtained by balloon or aircraft. They can provide instantaneous vertical profiles for a number of meteorological variables (temperature, pressure, ozone concentration, wind speed and direction, etc.) as they descend through the layers of the atmosphere. |
roll cloud | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An elongated, low-level accessory cloud in the shape of a horizontal tube that appears to rotate slowly about its horizontal axis, and is associated with but completely detached from the base of a cumulonimbus cloud above it. Though rare, roll clouds typically occur behind the gust front along the leading edge of a thunderstorm or squall line; they are also sometimes associated with cold fronts. |
rossby wave | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A very large-scale atmospheric wave appearing on an upper-air isobaric analysis of the middle and upper troposphere. Rossby waves consist of a series of ridges and troughs with very long wavelengths (typically a few thousand kilometres) stretching around the Earth, principally in the middle latitudes. They are strongly linked to surface weather patterns. |
rotation | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See cyclonic rotation. |
saddle point | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See col. |
saffir–simpson hurricane wind scale | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A rating system used to classify hurricanes (tropical cyclones in the Western Hemisphere) into one of five categories according to the intensity of their sustained winds, measured as the maximum sustained wind speed averaged over a one-minute interval at an altitude of 10 meters above the surface. Category 1, the lowest rating on the scale, indicates average sustained wind speeds of 33–42 metres per second (64–82 kn; 74–94 mph), where the lower limit is also used to define the distinction between a tropical storm and a hurricane; Category 5, the highest rating, indicates wind speeds of 70 metres per second (136 kn; 157 mph) or more. |
sshws | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A rating system used to classify hurricanes (tropical cyclones in the Western Hemisphere) into one of five categories according to the intensity of their sustained winds, measured as the maximum sustained wind speed averaged over a one-minute interval at an altitude of 10 meters above the surface. Category 1, the lowest rating on the scale, indicates average sustained wind speeds of 33–42 metres per second (64–82 kn; 74–94 mph), where the lower limit is also used to define the distinction between a tropical storm and a hurricane; Category 5, the highest rating, indicates wind speeds of 70 metres per second (136 kn; 157 mph) or more. |
sandstorm | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See dust storm. |
sastrugi | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Sharp, irregular grooves or ridges formed on a snow surface by wind erosion, saltation of snow particles, and deposition, usually parallel to the prevailing winds. They are often found in the polar regions and in large, open areas such as frozen lakes in cold temperate regions. |
satellite sounding | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An atmospheric sounding obtained from instruments on a meteorological satellite in orbit around the Earth. |
satellite tornado | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An independent tornado that revolves around a larger, primary tornado (typically a very large and intense one) and interacts with the same mesocyclone. Satellite tornadoes are distinct from the subvortices of a multiple-vortex tornado, though they may still merge into their companion tornado. |
saturated adiabat | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A curved line drawn on a thermodynamic diagram that traces the path of a moisture-saturated air parcel as it moves through the atmosphere adiabatically. Saturated parcels tend to behave very differently from dry parcels; the latter are instead described by a dry adiabat. |
saturation vapor pressure | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The maximum possible partial pressure exerted by a quantity of water vapor in the atmosphere at a given temperature. Saturation vapor pressure increases non-linearly with air temperature according to the Clausius–Clapeyron relation, such that the vapor pressure in millibars at 32 °C (90 °F) is approximately double the value at 21 °C (70 °F). |
scarf cloud | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See pileus. |
scavenging | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The process by which particulate matter in the atmosphere is captured and removed by precipitation. |
scud | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See pannus. |
sea breeze | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An onshore local wind that blows from sea to land, a result of the more rapid warming of the land surface relative to the sea during the day. It blows in the opposite direction of a land breeze, its nighttime counterpart in a diurnal cycle of coastal winds caused by lateral differences in surface temperature between land and sea. |
sea spray | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Aerosol particles formed directly by the ocean, mostly by ejection into the atmosphere by bursting bubbles at the air-sea interface. |
sea surface temperature | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The water temperature of the surface layer of a sea or ocean, usually measured at a depth between 1 millimetre (0.04 in) and 20 metres (70 ft) beneath the surface. Air masses in the atmosphere are strongly influenced by sea surface temperatures within a short distance of the shore. |
sst | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The water temperature of the surface layer of a sea or ocean, usually measured at a depth between 1 millimetre (0.04 in) and 20 metres (70 ft) beneath the surface. Air masses in the atmosphere are strongly influenced by sea surface temperatures within a short distance of the shore. |
season | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any division of the year marked by changes in weather, ecology, and the duration of daylight. Seasons result from the Earth's orbit around the Sun and its axial tilt relative to the ecliptic plane. In temperate and polar regions, four calendar-based seasons – spring, summer, autumn, and winter – are generally marked by significant changes in the intensity of sunlight that reaches the Earth's surface; these changes become less dramatic as one approaches the Equator, and so many tropical regions have only two or three seasons, such as a wet season and a dry season. In certain parts of the world, the term is also used to describe the timing of important ecological events, such as hurricane seasons, flood seasons, and wildfire seasons. |
secular trend | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The slow change (either an increase or a decrease) in the values of one or more climatic elements (e.g. temperature) that takes place over a long period of time, after fluctuations that occur over comparatively short periods have been eliminated. |
seiche | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A stationary or standing wave (i.e. a wave that oscillates in time without moving through space) that occurs in an enclosed or semi-enclosed body of water, such as a lake or bay, or in the atmosphere, continuing to oscillate for some time after the force initiating its formation has ceased (occasionally as long as several days). Seiches may be caused by a variety of forces, including strong winds, earthquakes, landslides, and sudden changes in atmospheric pressure. |
sensible heat | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The heat absorbed or transmitted by a substance during a change in temperature that is not accompanied by a change of phase (i.e. enthalpy) and which can be measured or "sensed", e.g. with a thermometer. Contrast latent heat. |
sensible temperature | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The temperature of the air or an object as it is felt or experienced by an individual. This may differ from the actual measured temperature for any of a number of reasons, e.g. as a result of humidity (as with a heat index) or wind speed (as with wind chill). Compare apparent temperature. |
severe thunderstorm | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A type of severe weather consisting of an especially strong or intense thunderstorm accompanied by locally damaging downdraft winds exceeding 50 knots (58 mph), heavy rain, frequent lightning, and/or large hailstones with a diameter of at least 20 millimetres (0.79 in). Severe thunderstorms are often capable of producing tornadoes as well. |
severe weather | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any dangerous meteorological phenomena with the potential to cause damage on the ground surface, serious social disruption, or loss of human life. There are many types of severe weather, including strong winds, excessive precipitation, thunderstorms, tornadoes, tropical cyclones, blizzards, and wildfires. Some severe weather may be more or less typical of a given region during a given season; other phenomena may be atypical or unpredictable. |
sferics | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See atmospherics. |
shade temperature | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The air temperature as measured by a thermometer housed inside an instrument shelter, which allows air to circulate freely around the thermometer while sheltering it from the potentially confounding effects of direct solar radiation, precipitation, and thermal energy emitted from the ground and surrounding objects. Shade temperature is a standard meteorological method for measuring air temperature. |
sheet lightning | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A diffuse illumination of the sky caused by a lightning discharge in which the bolt form of the discharge is not visible to an observer because of the presence of an obfuscating cloud. |
shelf cloud | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A low, elongated, wedge-shaped accessory cloud that occurs along a gust front, often masking the boundary between updrafts and downdrafts. Shelf clouds are associated with and attached to the base of a cumulonimbus cloud, unlike roll clouds, which are not attached. |
short wave | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any relatively small, short-wavelength ripple (i.e. a trough or a ridge) superimposed upon a longer wave pattern in the planetary-scale movement of air currents within the middle and upper troposphere. Short-wave troughs in particular are frequently associated with major cyclonic developments. |
shower | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A brief downpour of precipitation (especially rain, but also snow or hail) that starts and ends abruptly and typically lasts less than 10 minutes. Showers are characterized by rapid changes in intensity and are usually associated with convective clouds (e.g. cumulonimbus) which do not completely cover the sky, such that brightness is frequently evident during showers. |
significant level | Space and Astronomy | 1 | In a radiosonde observation, an altitude or elevation (other than a mandatory level) for which temperature, pressure, and humidity are reported because temperature and/or moisture content data at that level are sufficiently important or unusual to warrant the attention of the forecaster, or because they are required for the accurate portrayal of the observation. |
single cell thunderstorm | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See air-mass thunderstorm. |
skywarn | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The storm spotting program of the U.S. National Weather Service. Skywarn organizations have also been formed in Europe and Canada. |
slush | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A slurry mixture of small ice crystals (such as snow) and liquid water. Slush forms when ice or snow melts. |
snow | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A type of solid precipitation in the form of ice crystals which precipitate from the atmosphere and subsequently undergo changes on the Earth's surface. Snow occurs when particles in the atmosphere attract supercooled water droplets, which nucleate and freeze into hexagonal crystals known as snowflakes; upon reaching the ground it may then accumulate into snowpack or snowdrifts and, over time, metamorphose by sintering, sublimation, and freeze-thaw mechanisms. Unless the local climate is cold enough to maintain persistent snow cover on the ground, snow typically melts seasonally. |
snow roller | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A phenomenon in which large snowballs form naturally as clumps of snow are blown along the ground by strong winds, growing larger as they accumulate material along the way. |
snowbelt | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A region near the Great Lakes of North America where heavy snowfall in the form of lake-effect snow is particularly common. |
snowdrift | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A deposit of snow sculpted by wind into a mound during a snowstorm. |
snowspout | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See winter waterspout. |
snowsquall | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A sudden, moderately heavy snowfall characterized by strong surface wind gusts and blowing snow. It is similar to a blizzard but is more local in scale, and snow accumulations may or may not be significant. |
snowstorm | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A type of winter storm accompanied particularly by heavy precipitation in the form of snow. Very large snowstorms with strong winds and meeting certain other criteria are called blizzards. |
soft hail | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See graupel. |
solarimeter | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See pyranometer. |
sounding | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See atmospheric sounding. |
sounding balloon | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See weather balloon. |
sounding rocket | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A sub-orbital rocket carrying scientific instruments designed to record measurements and perform experiments in the upper atmosphere while in flight, usually reaching altitudes ranging from 48 to 145 kilometres (30 to 90 mi) above the surface of the Earth, i.e. higher than weather balloons but lower than weather satellites. |
spindrift | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Sea spray blown from cresting waves during a gale. This spray "drifts" in the direction of the gale and is distinct enough that it is sometimes used to judge wind speed at sea. |
st. elmo's fire | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A weather phenomenon in which luminous plasma is created by a corona discharge at the tips of long, sharply pointed objects in a strong atmospheric electrical field, such as that generated by a thunderstorm. |
standing cloud | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See cap cloud. |
steering | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any influence upon the direction of movement of an atmospheric disturbance that is exerted by another aspect of the state of the atmosphere. |
storm | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any disturbed state of an environment or atmosphere especially affecting the ground surface and strongly implying severe weather. Storms are characterized by significant disruptions to normal atmospheric conditions, which can result in strong wind, heavy precipitation, and/or thunder and lightning (as with a thunderstorm), among other phenomena. They are created when a center of low pressure develops within a system of high pressure surrounding it. |
storm cell | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An air mass which contains up and down drafts in convective loops and which moves and reacts as a single entity. It functions as the smallest unit of a storm-producing weather system. |
storm data and unusual weather phenomena | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) publication beginning in 1959 which details quality-controlled tornado and other severe weather summaries as the official NOAA record of such events. |
sd | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) publication beginning in 1959 which details quality-controlled tornado and other severe weather summaries as the official NOAA record of such events. |
storm shelter | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A type of underground bunker designed to protect the occupants from violent severe weather, particularly tornadoes. |
storm spotting | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A type of weather spotting in which observers watch for the approach of storms and severe weather and actively relay their findings to local meteorological authorities. |
straight-line wind | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any very strong and potentially damaging wind that lacks the rotational damage pattern associated with the winds of a tornado and hence is said to blow in a "straight line". Straight-line winds commonly accompany the gust front of a thunderstorm or originate with a downburst and may gust as high as 130 mph (210 km/h). |
stratosphere | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The second major layer of the Earth's atmosphere, above the troposphere and below the mesosphere. The lower boundary of the stratosphere varies between 7 and 20 km (4.3 and 12.4 mi) above the Earth's surface, depending on latitude. |
stratospheric oscillation | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See quasi-biennial oscillation. |
sun dog | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See parhelion. |
sunshower | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A meteorological phenomenon in which rain falls while the sun is shining. |
tail cloud | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A ragged band of cloud and/or fractus extending from a wall cloud toward the precipitation core. |
temperature | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A physical quantity expressing the thermal motion of a substance, such as a mass of air in the atmosphere, and proportional to the average kinetic energy of the random microscopic motions of the substance's constituent particles. Temperature is measured with a thermometer calibrated in one or more temperature scales: the Kelvin scale is the standard used in scientific contexts, but the Celsius and Fahrenheit scales are more commonly used in everyday contexts and for weather forecasting. |
temperature gradient | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A physical quantity that describes in which direction and at what rate the temperature changes within or across a particular system or location. It is typically expressed in units of degrees (on a particular temperature scale) per unit length; the SI unit is kelvin per meter (K/m). |
terminal aerodrome forecast | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A format for reporting current and forecast weather conditions, particularly as such information relates to aviation. Standard TAFs are issued by major civil airfields at least four times a day (every six hours) and generally apply to a 24- or 30-hour period and an area within approximately 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the center of an airport runway complex. TAFs complement and use similar encoding to METAR reports, but also take into account local geographic influences on weather. |
taf | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A format for reporting current and forecast weather conditions, particularly as such information relates to aviation. Standard TAFs are issued by major civil airfields at least four times a day (every six hours) and generally apply to a 24- or 30-hour period and an area within approximately 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the center of an airport runway complex. TAFs complement and use similar encoding to METAR reports, but also take into account local geographic influences on weather. |
thermal | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A column of rising air in the lower altitudes of the Earth's atmosphere. It is a form of atmospheric updraft created by the uneven heating of the Earth's surface by solar radiation, and an example of atmospheric convection. |
thermometer | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An instrument used to measure temperature or a temperature gradient. |
thunder | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The sound produced as a result of the sudden thermal expansion of air within and surrounding the channel of a lightning discharge. This expansion creates an audible supersonic shock wave that, depending on the listener's distance from the source, can range from a sharp, loud crack (sometimes called a thunderclap or peal of thunder) to a deep, sustained rumble. Thunder is a defining feature of thunderstorms. |
thundershower | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A relatively weak thunderstorm. |
thunderstorm | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Thunderstorms result from the rapid upward movement of warm, moist air, often along a front. They can develop in any geographic location but are most common in the mid-latitudes. They are usually accompanied by strong winds and heavy rain; especially strong or severe thunderstorms can produce some of the most dangerous weather phenomena, including large hail, downbursts, and tornadoes. |
tornado | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A rapidly rotating column of air that is in contact with both a parent cloud and the surface of the Earth. Tornadoes come in many shapes and sizes, and they are often visible in the form of a condensed funnel originating from the base of a cumulonimbus cloud, usually during a thunderstorm, with a cloud of rotating dust and debris beneath it. The most extreme tornadoes can achieve wind speeds of more than 480 km/h (300 mph), span more than 3.2 km (2.0 mi) in diameter, and stay on the ground for more than 100 km (dozens of miles) before dissipating. |
tornado debris signature | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An area of high reflectivity detected by weather radar that is caused by large amounts of debris being lofted into the air, which is often indicative of a tornado. |
tds | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An area of high reflectivity detected by weather radar that is caused by large amounts of debris being lofted into the air, which is often indicative of a tornado. |
tornado outbreak | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The occurrence of multiple tornadoes (typically at least six to ten) spawned by the same synoptic scale weather system, usually within the same day and in the same region. |
tornado outbreak sequence | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A period of continuous or nearly continuous tornado activity consisting of a series of tornado outbreaks spanning multiple days, with very few or no days lacking outbreaks. |
tornado vortex signature | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A rotation algorithm detected by weather radar that indicates the likely presence of a strong mesocyclone such as a tornado. Such signatures can be used to track the location and development of a tornadic rotation within a larger storm. |
tvs | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A rotation algorithm detected by weather radar that indicates the likely presence of a strong mesocyclone such as a tornado. Such signatures can be used to track the location and development of a tornadic rotation within a larger storm. |
trace | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An amount of precipitation that is too small to reliably or accurately measure. |
tropical cyclone | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A very large, rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center surrounded by a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and continuous spiral bands of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain. Tropical cyclones develop almost exclusively over and derive their strength from warm tropical seas. The strongest systems can last for more than a week, span more than 1,600 km (1,000 mi) in diameter, and cause significant damage to coastal regions with powerful winds, storm surges, and concentrated precipitation that leads to flooding. Depending on its location and strength, a tropical cyclone may be referred to by different names and categorized within a variety of classes. |
tropical cyclogenesis | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The process by which a tropical cyclone develops and strengthens within the atmosphere. The mechanisms governing cyclone formation in the tropics are distinct from those that govern the development of subtropical and extratropical cyclones. |
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