| Term | Definition |
|---|
| meteorologists | scientists that study the causes of weather and how to predict it. |
| air mass | a huge body of air that has similiar temperature, humidity and air pressure |
| maritime tropical | a warm and humid air mass that forms near the equator |
| maritime polar | a cold and humid air mass that forms near the arctic |
| continental tropical | a warm and dry air mass that forms near the equator |
| continental polar | a cold and dry air mass that forms near the arctic |
| Fronts | the area where two air masses meet and create weather |
| Cyclone | a counter clock-wise sipiraling area of low pressure that is associated with storms |
| Anticyclone | a clock-wise spiraling area of high pressure associated with fair weather |
| Storms | a violent disturbance in the atmosphere |
| Thunderstorms | heavy rainstorms accompanied by thunder and lightening |
| Lightening | a sudden spark, or energy disharge, caused when negative and positive charges build up and move between parts of clouds or the ground |
| Thunder | sound of an explosion caused by rapidly heated air expanding |
| Wind Shear | when a downward draft strikes the ground, and spreads out in all directions |
| Tornado | a rapidly spinning wind storm that touches the ground |
| Tornado Watch | an announcement that a tornado is possible |
| Tornado Warning | an announcement that a tornado has been seen in the sky or on weather radar |
| Tornado Alley | Great Plain States- runs from north-central Texas across central Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska |
| Fujita Scale | measures a tornado based on wind speed and damage (F0-F5) |
| Water Spout | Tornado occuring over a lake or ocean |
| Hurricane | a huge tropical storm with wind speeds of 119 kph (74 mph) or higher |
| Evacuate | temporarily moving away from an area because of a storm warning |
| Eye Wall | area of clouds around the center of a hurricane with the most severe weather |
Combine with other sets
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