Weather — page 31 of 38

3,760 terms including subtopics (3,094 terms filed directly here)

Subtopics

Weather terms

  1. SLD Solid
  2. Sleet Precipitation that consists of clear pellets of ice; sleet is formed when raindrops fall through a layer of cold air and freeze.
  3. Sleet Warning Issued when accumulation of sleet in excess of 1/2" is expected; this is a relatively rare scenario.
  4. SLGT Slight
  5. Slight Chance In probability of precipitation statements, usually equivalent to a 20 percent chance.
  6. Slight Risk (of severe thunderstorms)- Severe thunderstorms are expected to affect between 2 and 5 percent of the area.
  7. Sling Psychrometer An instrument used to measure the water vapor content of the atmosphere in which wet and dry bulb thermometers are mounted on a frame connected to a…
  8. SLO Slow
  9. SLOSH (Sea, Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes) - A computer model run by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) to estimate storm surge heights resulting…
  10. SLP Sea Level Pressure
  11. SLT 1. Slight (as in "slight chance") 2. Sleet
  12. Sludge The mixture of organic and inorganic substances separated from sewage.
  13. SLY Southerly
  14. SM service mark
  15. SMA The Soil Moisture Accounting Model.
  16. Small Craft There is no precise definition for small craft. Any vessel that may be adversely affected by Small Craft Advisory criteria should be considered a small…
  17. Small Craft Advisory (SCA) - An advisory issued by coastal and Great Lakes Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) for areas included in the Coastal Waters Forecast or Nearshore Marine…
  18. Small Craft Advisory for Hazardous Seas (SCAHS) - An advisory issued by coastal and Great Lakes Weather Forecast Offices (WFO).
  19. Small Craft Advisory for Rough Bar (SCARB): An advisory issued by coastal and Great Lakes Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) for specialized areas near harbor or river entrances known as bars.
  20. Small Craft Advisory for Winds (SCAW): An advisory issued by coastal and Great Lakes Weather Forecast Offices (WFO).
  21. Small Craft Should Exercise Caution Precautionary statement issued to alert mariners with small, weather sensitive boats.
  22. Small Hail Technically used to refer to snow pellets or graupel.
  23. Small Stream Flooding Flooding of small creeks, streams, or runs.
  24. Smog A visible haze caused by particulate matter and ground-level ozone.
  25. Smoke (abbrev. K) Smoke in various concentrations can cause significant problems for people with respiratory ailments.
  26. Smoke Dispersal Describes the ability of the atmosphere to ventilate smoke. Depends on the stability and winds in the lower layers of the atmosphere, i.e.
  27. Smoke Management The use of meteorology, fuel moisture, fuel loading, fire suppression and burn techniques to keep smoke impacts from prescribed fires within acceptable…
  28. Smoothed Sunspot Number An average of 13 monthly RI numbers, centered on the month of concern.
  29. SMW (Special Marine Warning) - A warning product issued for potentially hazardous weather conditions usually of short duration (up to 2 hours) producing…
  30. SN snow
  31. Snotel SNOw TELemetry - An automated network of snowpack data collection sites. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), formerly the Soil Conservation…
  32. Snow Precipitation that consists of frozen flakes formed when water vapor accumulates on ice crystals, going directly to the ice phase.
  33. Snow Accumulation and Ablation Model A model which simulates snow pack accumulation, heat exchange at the air-snow interface, areal extent of snow cover, heat storage within the snow pack…
  34. Snow Advisory This product is issued by the National Weather Service when a low pressure system produces snow that may cause significant inconveniences, but do not meet…
  35. Snow blink Snow blink (snow sky) A bright white glare on the underside of clouds, produced by the reflection of light from snow-covered surface.
  36. Snow Core A sample of either freshly fallen snow, or the combined old and new snow on the ground.
  37. Snow Cornice A mass of snow or ice projecting over a mountain ridge.
  38. Snow cover Snow cover 1) In general, a layer of snow on the ground surface. 2) The areal extent of snow-covered ground, usually expressed as per cent of total area…
  39. Snow Density The mass of snow per unit volume which is equal to the water content of the snow divided by its depth.
  40. Snow Depth The combined total depth of both the old and new snow on the ground.
  41. Snow Flurries Snow flurries are an intermittent light snowfall of short duration (generally light snow showers) with no measurable accumulation (trace category).
  42. Snow Grains Precipitation consisting of white, opaque ice particles usually less than 1 mm in diameter.
  43. Snow Pack Same as Snowcover; the combined layers of snow and ice on the ground at any one time.
  44. Snow Pellets Precipitation, usually of brief duration, consisting of crisp, white, opaque ice particles, round or conical in shape and about 2 to 5 mm in diameter.
  45. Snow Pillow An instrument used to measure snow water equivalents. Snow pillows typically have flat stainless steel surface areas.
  46. Snow Shower A snow shower is a short duration of moderate snowfall. Some accumulation is possible.
  47. Snow Squall A snow squall is an intense, but limited duration, period of moderate to heavy snowfall, accompanied by strong, gusty surface winds and possibly lightning…
  48. Snow Stake A 1-3/4 inch square, semi-permanent stake, marked in inch increments to measure snow depth.
  49. Snow Stick A portable rod used to measure snow depth.
  50. Snow Water Equivalent The water content obtained from melting accumulated snow.
  51. Snowboard A flat, solid, white material, such as painted plywood, approximately two feet square, which is laid on the ground, or snow surface by weather observers…
  52. Snowcover Also known as Snow Pack; the combined layers of snow and ice on the ground at any one time.
  53. Snowflake An agglomeration of snow crystals falling as a unit.
  54. Snowmelt Flooding Flooding caused primarily by the melting of snow.
  55. Snowpack The total snow and ice on the ground, including the new snow, the previous snow and ice which has not melted.
  56. Snowstorm Snowstorm Strong wind with snow.
  57. SNR Signal-to-Noise Ratio
  58. SNW Snowfall
  59. SNWFL Snowfall
  60. SOI The Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) has been developed to monitor the Southern Oscillation using the difference between sea level pressures at Darwin…
  61. Soil Sediments or other unconsolidated accumulations of solid particles produced by the physical and chemical disintegration of rocks, and which may or may not…
  62. Soil Carbon A major component of the terrestrial biosphere pool in the carbon cycle. The amount of carbon in the soil is a function of the historical vegetative cover…
  63. Soil Moisture Water stored in soils.
  64. soil temperature The temperature measured near the surface of the soil.
  65. Solar Coordinates In solar-terrestrial terms, Central Meridian Distance (CMD). The angular distance in solar longitude measured from the central meridian
  66. Solar Cycle An approximately 11-year pattern in the number of sunspots, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), solar flares, and other solar activity.
  67. Solar energy Electromagnetic energy transmitted from the sun (solar radiation). The amount that reaches the earth is equal to one billionth of total solar energy…
  68. Solar Maximum The month(s) during the 11-year solar cycle when the number of Sunspots reaches a maximum.
  69. Solar Minimum The month(s) during the 11-year solar cycle when the number of Sunspots is lowest.
  70. Solar Noon The time of the day, at a specific location, when the sun reaches its highest, apparent point in the sky; equal to true or due, geographic south.
  71. Solar Radiation A general term for the visible and near visible (ultraviolet and near-infrared) electromagnetic radiation that is emitted by the sun.
  72. Solar Sector Boundary (SSB) In solar-terrestrial terms, the apparent solar origin, or base, of the interplanetary sector boundary marked by the larger-scale polarity inversion lines.
  73. solar variability changes in the amount of radiation emitted by the sun due to the sun's internal dynamics.
  74. Solar Wind A stream of plasma coming out of the Sun in all directions at very high speeds—an average of about 400 km/sec, or a million mph.
  75. SOLN Solution
  76. SOLNS solutions
  77. Solstice The two times of the year when the sun is apparently farthest north and south of the earth's equator; usually occurring on or around June 21 (summer…
  78. SOO Science and Operations Officer
  79. sounding A set of data measuring the vertical structure of an atmospheric parameter (temperature, humidity, pressure, winds, etc.) at a given time.
  80. Source Any place or object from which air pollutants are released. Sources that are fixed in space are stationary sources and sources that move are mobile…
  81. Southern Great Plains (SGP) site (SGP) The first of the ARM research sites, the SGP site is located in south Kansas and north Oklahoma.
  82. Southern Oscillation (SO) - a "see-saw" in surface pressure in the tropical Pacific characterized by simultaneously opposite sea level pressure anomalies at Tahiti, in the…
  83. Southern Oscillation Index A numerical index measuring the state of the Southern Oscillation. The SOI is based on the (atmospheric) pressure difference between Tahiti and Darwin…
  84. Space Environment Center (SEC) - This center provides real-time monitoring and forecasting of solar and geophysical events, conducts research in solar-terrestrial physics, and…
  85. SPC Storm Prediction Center
  86. SPCLY Especially
  87. SPD 1) Speed 2) On a buoy report, ten-minute average wind speed values in m/s.
  88. Spearhead Echo A radar echo associated with a downburst with a pointed appendage extending toward the direction of the echo motion.
  89. Special Avalanche Warning Issued by the National Weather Service when avalanches are imminent or occurring in the mountains. It is usually issued for a 24 hour period.
  90. Special Fire Weather Meteorological services uniquely required by user agencies which cannot be provided at an NWS office during normal working hours.
  91. Special Marine Warning (SMW) A warning product issued for potentially hazardous weather conditions usually of short duration (up to 2 hours) producing sustained marine…
  92. Special naphtha All finished products within the naphtha boiling range that are used as paint thinners, cleaners, or solvents.
  93. Special Tropical Disturbance Statement This statement issued by the National Hurricane Center furnishes information on strong and formative non-depression systems.
  94. Specific Gravity The ratio of the mass of a body to an equal volume of water.
  95. Specific Heat The amount of heat required to raise a unit mass of a substance through one degree, expressed as a ratio of the amount of heat required to raise an equal…
  96. Specific Humidity The weight of water vapor, per unit weight of dry air.
  97. Specific Yield The ratio of the water which will drain freely from the material to the total volume of the aquifer formation.
  98. Spectral Density A radar term for the distribution of power by frequency.
  99. Spectral Wave Density On a buoy report, energy in (meter*meter)/Hz, for each frequency bin (typically from 0.03 Hz to 0.40 Hz).
  100. Spectral Wave Direction On a buoy report, mean wave direction, in degrees from true North, for each frequency bin.

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