Amazing Weather Words People talk about the weather all the
time. It's a constant in our lives. That said, we present this list of 10
weather words we think you need to know. We tried to focus on winter weather,
but then we'd have to leave out haboob, and that just can't happen. We won't include the
swear words you mutter under your breath as you shovel off the driveway for the
fifth time this month, either. Remember the first day of spring is
March 20.
Bombogenesis
People head to the stores to stock up
on bread and milk for this one, and the news stations offer "team
coverage." Weatherdudes.com says "when a low pressure system or
mid-latitude cyclone moves off of the East Coast of the United States during
the colder months of the year, there is a tendency for many of them to intensify
rapidly due to the warmer waters of the Gulf Stream and the positioning of the
low between two very different air masses. The air mass to the storm's north
and west is usually very cold and dry, while the air mass to the storm's south
and east is very warm and moist. The
storm's rapid intensification is known as bombogenesis."
Frazil
[frey-zuhl, fraz-uhl, fruh-zeel,
-zil]
Frazil are "ice crystals formed in turbulent water, as in swift streams
or rough seas." So much more exciting than just calling it
ice-in-the-river!
Haboob [huh-boob]
An haboob is "a thick dust
storm or sandstorm that blows in the deserts of North Africa and Arabia or on
the plains of India." Their dust storm cousins also hit the United
States—just ask anyone who lives in Phoenix.
Crepuscular ray
When you sit on the porch admiring
the sunset, you might be looking at one of these. We define it as "a
twilight ray of sunlight shining through breaks in high clouds and illuminating
dust particles in the air."
Petrichor
You know how it smells outside after
a rainstorm? There's a word for that, of course. Petrichor is the distinct scent of rain in the
air. Or, to be more precise, it’s the name of an oil that’s released from the
earth into the air before rain begins to fall.
Sastruga [sas-truh-guh, sah-struh-,
sa-stroo-, sah-]
This word (sastrugi in the plural form)
means "ridges of snow formed on a snowfield by the action of the
wind." It's beautiful in an open field, and a differently kind of awe
inspiring in a parking lot you're supposed to plow.
Williwaw [wil-ee-waw]
If you're out adventuring and you see a williwaw headed
your way, take cover. Dictionary.com cites this as "a violent squall that
blows in near-polar latitudes, as in the Strait of Magellan, Alaska, and the
Aleutian Islands." This may very well lead to what's known as a three-dog
night.
Darecho
This is
another storm you want to avoid. AccuWeather says darecho "are often
referred to as inland hurricanes due to the hurricane-like conditions, in terms
of ferocious wind and torrential rain, which are spawned by this weather
phenomenon."
Gloriole [glawr-ee-ohl, glohr-]
We define this as "a halo, nimbus, or
aureole." When ice crystals are suspended in the atmosphere, this is what
happens. Mental Floss says "this optical phenomenon causes a bright circle
or rainbow around the sun or moon, 22 degrees away from the center of the
object. To differentiate between a gloriole and the related 'corona' phenomenon
(caused by water droplets, and much closer to the sun or moon), if you put your
palm over the sun and extend your fingers, they should reach about 20 degrees
from the center." Where's Bill Nye the Science Guy when you need him,
anyway?
