Readily taking up and retaining moisture.

Temperature based on an absolute scale.

in folklore, a name for fire.

The maximum deviation of any points from a straight line drawn as a "best fit" through the calibration points of an instrument with a linear response curve. Usually expressed as a percentage of full- scale range.

A hydrometeor consisting of an aggregate of microscopic and more-or-less hygroscopic water droplets suspended in the atmosphere. It reduces visibility to a lesser extent than fog. The relative humidity of mist is often less than 95 percent.

The change in the measured transducer output caused by changes in ambient temperature. Usually expressed a percentage of full scale.

A standard interface between a computer input/output port and a peripheral device. Signal properties including time duration, voltage. and current, are specified by the Electronic Industries Association.

A unit of energy per unit area commonly employed in radiation theory. Equal to one gram-calorie per square centimeter.

A sudden, significant increase in station pressure.

Determination of the total amount of snow covering a watershed or a given region. Both depth and water content of the snow may be measured, and the results may be used to predict the amount of water that will be available after melting.

A water-temperature thermometer provided with an insulated container around the bulb. It is lowered into the sea on a line until it has had time to reach the temperature of the surface water, then withdrawn and read. The insulated water surrounding the bu ...

An instrument used to measure changes in the level of the water in an evaporation pan. The gauge is normally placed in a Stillwell and adjusted so that the point of the hook just breaks the water surface. The change in water level is read on the attached ...

A rain gauge or array of rain gauges designed to measure the inclination and direction of falling rain.

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

Any wind blowing down an incline. If warm, it is a foehn. If cold, it may be a fall wind or a gravity wind.

A type of precipitation composed of unbranched crystals in the form of needles, columns, or plates. Usually has a very slight downward motion and may fall from a cloudless sky.

Temperature assumed by an unsaturated air parcel when brought adiabatically to a standard pressure (1,000 mb).

A form of data transmission in which the bits of each character are all sent simultaneously, resulting in extremely fast communication but requiring a communication path for each bit. Compare to serial data transmission.

A device used on certain types of instruments to prevent unwanted radiation from affecting the measurement of a quantity. Also called solar radiation shield.

A halo consisting of a faint white circle passing through the Sun and running parallel to the horizon for as much as 360