Weather and Climate Vocabulary

Atmosphere - the whole mass of air that surrounds the Earth

Oxygen - a chemical that is found in the air, that has no color, taste, smell, and that is necessary for life

Nitrogen - a chemical that has no color or smell and that makes up a large part of the atmosphere

Water Vapor - water that is in the form of a vapor, or gas

Water Cycle - the path water takes as it is being cycled through the environment, including
condensation, evaporation, and precipitation

Evaporation - to change from a liquid into a gas; the process by which a liquid is converted to its vapor phase by heating the liquid

Condensation - the process by which a gas cools and becomes a liquid; small drops of water that form on a cold surface

Precipitation - water that falls to the ground as rain, snow, etc.

Runoff - water from rain or snow that flows over the surface of the ground into streams

Weather - the temperature and other outside conditions (such as rain, cloudiness, etc.) at a particular time and place

Climate - the usual weather conditions in a particular place or region

Weather Forecast - a prediction on what the weather will be like in the future

Temperature - a measurement that indicates how hot or cold something is : a measurement in degrees showing the heat of something

Thermometer - an instrument used for measuring temperature

Humidity - the amount of moisture(water) in the air

Wind - a natural movement of air outside

Wind Vane - is a tool used to measure the direction that the wind is blowing

Wind Sock - a large fabric tube that is placed on a pole and used to show the direction of the wind

Anemometer - a device used to measure wind speed

Cloud - a white or gray mass in the sky that is made of many very small drops of water

Cumulus - a type of thick cloud that is rounded on top and has a flat base

Stratus - gray clouds that make a flat base low in the sky

Cirrus - a thin type of cloud that forms high in the sky

Cumulonimbus - type of cloud that is tall, dense, and involved in thunderstorms and other intense weather

Thunderstorm - a storm with lightning and thunder

Lightning - the flashes of light that are produced in the sky during a storm

Flooding - a large amount of water covering an area of land that is usually dry

Hurricane - an extremely large, powerful, and destructive storm with very strong winds

Tornado - a violent and destructive storm in which powerful winds move around a central point