The state of the atmosphere, mainly with respect to its effects upon life and human activities. As distinguished from climate, weather consists of the short-term (minutes to months) variations of the atmosphere.

A graduated scale placed in a position so that the stage of a stream may be read directly from it. Staff gauges may be placed on bridge piers or pilings, etc., or placed on specially constructed supports.

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

in folklore, a name for fire.

Same as luminous intensity.

Facing away from the wind.

Strong winds concentrated within a narrow band in the atmosphere. The jet stream often "steers" surface features such as front and low pressure systems.

An increase in the central pressure of a pressure system; opposite of a deepening. More commonly applied to a low rather than a high.

A box-like structure designed to protect certain meteorological instruments from exposure to direct sunlight, precipitation, and condensation, while at the same time providing adequate ventilation. Instrument shelters are painted white, have louvered side ...

A c.g.s. (centimeter-gram-second) unit of mass. Originally defined as the mass of 1 cubic centimeter of water at 4

Apparatus consisting of (a) standard radiosonde and radiosonde ground equipment to obtain upper-air data on pressure, temperature, and humidity, and (b) a self-tracking radio direction-finder to provide the elevation and azimuth angles of the radiosonde s ...

A type of climatic diagram whose coordinates are some form of temperature vs. a form of humidity or precipitation.

A common type of liquid-inglass thermometer, used, in meteorology, in psychrometers and as a maximum thermometer.

A combination cup anemometer and pressure-plate anemometer, consisting of an array of cups about a vertical axis of rotation, the free rotation of which is restricted by a suitable spring arrangement.

A radar term for a single pulse of radio energy.

A thermopile used in some types of radiation instruments. See solarimeter.

A Sunshine recorder of the type in which the time scale is supplied by the motion of the sun. The instrument, which is pointed at the celestial pole, consists of a hemispherical mirror mounted externally on the optical axis of a camera. The lens of the ca ...

See hurricane beacon.

A unit of energy equal to 1.356joules.

A hygrometer in which the sensitive element is a strand or strands of human hair, the length of which is a function of the relative humidity of the air.