Dew point     - The temperature at which condensation begins and an indicator of how much water is in the air

Cumulus     -  Usually form at low altitudes and may extend upward. Short cumulus indicates fair weather.

Cirrus   - Usually form at high altitudes and low temperatures. Made of ice crystals and indicates fair/good weather.

Stratus   - Usually form at low to middle altitudes. As they thicken they produce drizzle, rain or snow and are then called nimbostratus

Cumulonimbus    - Cumulonimbus clouds are associated with extreme weather such as heavy torrential downpours, hail storms, lightning and  tornadoes.

Nimbostratus     - Indicates continuous moderate rain or snow and appear to cover most of the sky.

Altostratus    - Indicates precipitation later in the day

Altocumulus- indicates precipitation later in the day

Cirrocumulus      - indicates a storm is on its way  

Fog    - low clouds at a ground level

Precipitation   - Any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches Earth’s surface

Rain gauge  - are used by meteorologists to determine the amount of rain that falls in a particular area.

Freezing rain   -raindrops fall as liquid but freeze when they come into contact with cold surface

Sleet   raindrops fall through air that is 0C, freezing the water to solid. Must be <5mm in diameter

Hail     ice pellet larger then 5mm in diameter. Only forms inside cumulonimbus during thunderstorm. Forms in layers as the ice pellet is blown through cold regions of the cloud many times until it is to heavy and falls to the ground.

Snow     water vapor changes directly to ice crystals (solid)

flood    Overflowing of water in a normally dry area. 

drought caused by dry weather systems that remain in one place for weeks or month at a time occur when the volume of water in a river increases so much that the river overflows

Dam Barrier across a river that may redirect the flow of the river to other channels or store floodwaters so they can be released slowly 

Levee Embankment built along a river to prevent flooding of surrounding land. Strengthen with sandbags, stones or concrete

Weather      The condition of the earth's atmosphere at a particular time and place. It is constantly changing.

Atmosphere        Is the envelope of gasses surrounding the planet Different parts of the atmosphere interact with each other

Water vapor    IS A GAS! Can not see it. If you see water in the air it is precipitating, cloudy, or steam.

Density    is the amount of mass per unit of volume.

Air pressure     the force pushing on an area or surface

Barometer        - is used to measure pressure. 2 types Mercury and aneroid. 

Altitude       the elevation above sea level

Troposphere      very variable. Weather occurs here. Contains most mass.

Stratosphere     contains the ozone layer. O3 protects from ultraviolet radiation resulting in the upper region being warmer than lower.

Mesosphere        middle layer. Protects earth's surface from being hit by meteoroids. 

Thermosphere    outermost layer. Very hot 1800C but you don't feel it because the air moves SO fast.

Convection    In fluids (gas is considered a fluid) energy moves with the molecules and/or atoms and is transferred. The transfer of heat by the movement of a fluid between areas of differing temperatures and therefore density

Radiation    Direct transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves. Can't see it but you can feel it (Ex: warming of your skin by the sun's rays/heat)

Conduction   Transfer of heat directly between 2 substances. Faster molecules bump and transfer energy to slower molecules. Occurs best when molecules are in close contact with each other.

Greenhouse effect - a process that occurs when gasses in Earth's atmosphere trap the Sun's heat. 

Temperature    Average amount of energy of motion of each particle of a substance

Thermal energy Measures the total energy of motion in the particles of a substance (MASS of a substance)