The stage on a fixed river gauge at which it is necessary to begin issuing warnings or river forecasts if adequate precautionary measures are to be taken before flood stage is reached.

The atmospheric pressure at mean sea level either directly measured by stations at sea level or empirically determined from the station pressure and temperature by stations not at sea level. Used as a common reference for analyses of surface pressure patt ...

The distance that an observer can see vertically into a surface-based obscuring phenomenon such as fog, rain, or snow. The distance estimate must be based upon ceiling balloon ascensions or ceiling light projector measurements.

Random Access Memory. The memory of a computer which can be read and written into at any location without passing through preceding locations.

An instrument for determining the direction of cloud motion. There are two basic designs of nephoscope, the directvision nephoscope and the mirror nephoscope.

A type of cloud height indicator which uses a searchlight to project vertically a narrow beam of light onto the cloud base. The height of the cloud is determined using a clinometer, located at a known distance from the ceiling light, to measure the angle ...

An instrument which measures the effective terrestrial radiation. See Angstrom pyrgeometer.

in United States weather observing practice, the highest "instantaneous" wind speed recorded at a station during a specified period, usually the 24-hour observation day. Therefore, a peak gust need not be a true gust of wind.

A tube designed to measure the rate of flow of fluids. It consists of a tube having a constriction or throat at its midsection. The difference between the pressure measured at the inlet and at the throat is a function of the fluid velocity. Compare to Pit ...

A scale with the ice point at zero degrees and the boiling point of water at 80 degrees, with pressure of one atmosphere.

See radar theodolite, radio direction-finder.

A rotation anemometer in which the axis of rotation is horizontal. The instrument has either flat vanes (as in the air meter) or helicoidal vanes (as in the propeller anemometer). The relation between wind speed and angular rotation is almost linear.

A thermometer which uses a transducing element whose element proper-ties are a function of its thermal state. Common meteorological examples of such thermometers are the resistance thermometer and the thermoelectric thermometer.

A thermometer with a muslin-covered bulb which is moistened. used to measure wet-bulb temperature.

A rain gauge capable of measuring very small amounts of precipitation. Also called micropluviometer, trace recorder.

A unit of energy defined as the heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. It is equal to 252.1 calories or to 1055 joules.

Defect in the action of an aneroid barometer resulting in a sluggish adjustment of the index toward the correct reading when the barometer is subjected to a large and rapid change in pressure.

NEXt Generation RADar. A NWS network of about 140 Doppler radars operating nationwide.

A radiosonde whose carrier wave is switched on and off in such a manner that the interval of time between the transmission of signals if a function of the magnitude of the meteorological elements being measured.

That horizontal wind velocity at which the Coriolis acceleration exactly balances the horizontal pressure force. It is directed along contour lines or isobars.