Meteorology and atmospheric science terminology · MLC-0110

Meteorology and atmospheric science terms: T (148)

• TThunderstorm
• T -NumberA system used to subjectively estimate tropical cyclone intensity based solely on visible and infrared...
• T RollsTransverse Rolls - elongated low-level clouds, arranged in parallel bands and aligned parallel to the...
• TAFTerminal Aerodrome Forecast
• TAFBTropical Analysis and Forecast Branch (of the TPC)
• tail cloudA horizontal, tail-shaped cloud (not a funnel cloud) at low levels extending from the precipitation cascade...
• Tail-End CharlieSlang for the thunderstorm at the southernmost end of a squall line or other line or band of thunderstorms...
• Tailwater HeightIn hydrologic terms, height of water immediately downstream of the dam.
• targetPrecipitation or other phenomena which produces echoes on a radar display.
• TCONAverage of GHMI, EGRI, NGPI, HWFI, and GFSI HWFI: Previous cycle HWRF, adjusted HWRF: NWS/Hurricane Weather...
• TCUTowering cumulus clouds
• TDTropical Depression
• TDAToday
• TDWRTerminal Doppler Weather Radar
• teleconnectionLinkage between changes in atmospheric circulation occurring in widely separated parts of the globe.
• TEMPTemperature- A measure of the internal energy that a substance contains. This is the most measured quantity...
• temperature(Abbrev. TEMP)- The temperature is a measure of the internal energy that a substance contains. This is the...
• temperature inversion(surface-based or elevated) : a layer of the atmosphere in which air temperature increases with height. When...
• Temperature RecoveryThe change in temperature over a given period of time. Generally, the period between late evening and...
• TEMPStemperatures
• Terminal Aerodrome ForecastThis NWS aviation product is a concise statement of the expected meteorological conditions at an airport...
• Terrain Forced FlowAn airflow that is modified or channeled as it passes over or around mountains or through gaps in a mountain...
• Texas HookerSame as Panhandle Hook - low pressure systems that originate in the panhandle region of Texas and Oklahoma...
• ThalwegIn hydrologic terms, the line of maximum depth in a stream. The thalweg is the part that has the maximum...
• theodoliteAn instrument used in surveying to measure horizontal and vertical angles with a small telescope that can...
• thermalA relatively small-scale, rising air current produced when the Earth's surface is heated. Thermals are a...
• thermal beltA zone of high nighttime temperatures (and relatively low humidities) that is often experienced within a...
• thermal highArea of high pressure that is shallow in vertical extent and produced primarily by cold surface temperatures.
• Thermal lowArea of low pressure that is shallow in vertical extent and produced primarily by warm surface temperatures.
• thermal windIt is a theoretical wind that blows parallel to the thickness lines, for the layer considered, analogous to...
• Thermally Driven CirculationA diurnally reversing closed cellular wind current resulting from horizontal temperature contrasts caused by...
• thermistorA resistor whose resistance changes with temperature. Because of the known dependence of resistance on...
• thermoclineAs one descends from the surface of the ocean, the temperature remains nearly the same as it was at the...
• Thermodynamic ChartA chart containing contours of pressure, temperature, moisture, and potential temperature, all drawn relative...
• thermodynamic diagramUsed interchangably with Thermodynamic Chart; a chart containing contours of pressure, temperature, moisture...
• thermodynamicsIn general, the relationships between heat and other properties (such as temperature, pressure, density...
• thermographAn instrument that measures and records air temperature.
• thermometerAn instrument for measuring air temperature.
• thermosphereThe atmospheric shell extending from the top of the mesosphere to outer space. It is a region of more or less...
• Theta-e(or Equivalent Potential Temperature) - The temperature a parcel of air would have if a) it was lifted until...
• THETAEAbbreviation for Theta-e; the temperature a parcel of air would have if a) it was lifted until it became...
• Theta-e RidgeAn axis of relatively high values of theta-e. Severe weather and excessive rainfall often occur near or just...
• Thin Line EchoA narrow, elongated, non-precipitating echo. It is usually associated with thunderstorm outflows, fronts, or...
• THKThick/Thickness
• THNThin
• Three-Hour Rainfall RateThis WSR-88D Radar product displays precipitation total (in inches) of the current and past two clock hours...
• Threshold RunoffIn hydrologic terms, the runoff in inches from a rain of specified duration that causes a small stream to...
• THRFTRThereafter
• THRUThrough
• THRUTThroughout
• THSDThousand
• thunderThe sound caused by rapidly expanding gases in a lightning discharge.
• thunderstormA local storm produced by a cumulonimbus cloud and accompanied by lightning and thunder.
• Tidal CycleThe periodic changes in the intensity of tides caused primarily by the varying relations between the earth...
• Tidal PilingOccurs when unusually high water levels occur as the result of an accumulation of successive incoming tides...
• TideOn a buoy report, the water level in feet above or below Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW).
• Tide AnomalyActual water level minus the prediction.
• Tide PredictionThe computation of tidal highs and lows at a given location resulting from the gravitational interactions...
• TidesThe periodic (occurring at regular intervals) variations in the surface water level of the oceans, bays...
• TILUntil
• tiltIt describes a storm in which a line connecting the centroid of a mid level storm component to the centroid...
• Tilt SequenceRadar term indicating that the radar antenna is scanning through a series of antenna elevations in order to...
• Tilted StormA thunderstorm or cloud tower which is not purely vertical but instead exhibits a slanted or tilted...
• Tilted UpdraftA thunderstorm updraft which is not purely vertical but instead exhibits a slanted or tilted character. It is...
• Tipping-Bucket Rain GageA precipitation gage where collected water is funneled into a two compartment bucket; 0.01, 0.1 mm, or some...
• TKETurbulent Kinetic Energy
• TMWTomorrow
• TNDCYTendency
• TNGTTonight
• Toe of Dam(Upstream and Downstream) : The junction of the face of a dam with the ground surface
• TOPCloud Top
• topographyThe shape of the land.
• TORTornado (or) Tornado Warning
• TornadoA violently rotating column of air, usually pendant to a cumulonimbus, with circulation reaching the ground...
• Tornado EmergencyAn exceedingly rare tornado warning issued when there is a severe threat to human life and catastrophic...
• Tornado FamilyA series of tornadoes produced by a single supercell, resulting in damage path segments along the same...
• Tornado Vortex SignatureAn image of a tornado on the Doppler radar screen that shows up as a small region of rapidly changing wind...
• Tornado WarningThis is issued when a tornado is indicated by the WSR-88D radar or sighted by spotters; therefore, people in...
• Tornado WatchThis is issued by the National Weather Service when conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes...
• Total Totals indexA stability index and severe weather forecast tool, equal to the temperature at 850 mb plus the dew point at...
• towering cumulusA large cumulus cloud with great vertical development, usually with a cauliflower-like appearance, but...
• TPC(Tropical Prediction Center) - An NCEP center which produces marine offshore and high seas forecasts south of...
• TPWTotal Precipitable Water
• traceIn hydrologic terms, a hydrograph or similar plot for an extended-range time horizon showing one of many...
• TrackThe path that a storm or weather system follows.
• trade windsPersistent tropical winds that blow from the subtropical high pressure centers towards the equatorial low.
• TrainingRepeated areas of rain, typically associated with thunderstorms, that move over the same region in a...
• transmitterThe radar equipment used for generating and amplifying a radio frequency (RF) carrier signal, modulating the...
• TranspirationWater discharged into the atmosphere from plant surfaces.
• Transport WindThe average wind over a specified period of time within a mixed layer near the surface of the earth.
• Transverse BandsBands of clouds oriented perpendicular to the flow in which they are embedded. They often are seen best on...
• Transverse RollsElongated low-level clouds, arranged in parallel bands and aligned parallel to the low-level winds but...
• TrapperA valley or basin in which cold air becomes trapped or pooled.
• travel timeIn hydrologic terms, the time required for a flood wave to travel from one location to a subsequent location...
• Triple DopplerSince any wind has three components (say, in the x, y and z directions), and a single radar measures in only...
• triple pointThe intersection point between two boundaries (dry line, outflow boundary, cold front, etc.), often a focus...
• TROFTrough
• TROPTropopause
• Tropical AdvisoryOfficial information issued by tropical cyclone warning centers describing all tropical cyclone watches and...
• Tropical Analysis and Forecast BranchOne of three branches of the Tropical Prediction Center (TPC). It provides year-round products involving...
• tropical cycloneA warm-core, non-frontal synoptic-scale cyclone, originating over tropical or subtropical waters with...
• Tropical Cyclone Plan of the DayA coordinated mission plan that tasks operational weather reconnaissance requirements during the next 1100 to...
• Tropical Cyclone Position EstimateThe National Hurricane Center issues a position estimate between scheduled advisories whenever the storm...
• Tropical Cyclone UpdateThis brief statement is issued by the National Hurricane Center in lieu of or preceding special advisories to...
• tropical depressionA tropical cyclone in which the maximum 1-minute sustained surface wind is 33 knots (38 mph) or less.
• tropical disturbanceA discrete tropical weather system of apparently organized convection--generally 100 to 300 mi in...
• tropical stormA tropical cyclone in which the maximum 1-minute sustained surface wind ranges from 34 to 63 knots (39 to 73...
• Tropical Storm SummaryWritten by the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center* (HPC) after subtropical and names tropical cyclones...
• Tropical Storm WarningAn announcement that tropical storm conditions (sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph) are expected somewhere...
• Tropical Storm WatchAn announcement that tropical storm conditions (sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph) are possible within the...
• Tropical Wave(formerly known as inverted trough) - A trough or cyclonic curvature maximum in the trade wind easterlies...
• Tropical Weather DiscussionThese messages are issued 4 times daily by the Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch (TAFB) to describe...
• Tropical Weather OutlookThis outlook normally covers the tropical and subtropical waters, discussing the weather conditions...
• Tropical Weather SummaryThe National Hurricane Center issues a monthly summary of tropical weather is included at the end of the...
• TropicsAreas of the Earth within 20° North and South of the equator.
• tropopauseThe upper boundary of the troposphere, usually characterized by an abrupt change in lapse rate from positive...
• Tropopause JetType of jet stream found near the tropopause. Examples of this type of jet are the subtropical and polar...
• troposphereThe layer of the atmosphere from the earth's surface up to the tropopause, characterized by decreasing...
• troughAn elongated area of relatively low atmospheric pressure, usually not associated with a closed circulation...
• trowalTROugh of Warm Air ALoft. Typically used during winter weather, it is a "tongue" of relatively warm/moist air...
• TRPCLTropical
• TRRNTerrain
• True WindWind relative to a fixed point on the earth. Wind relative to a moving point is called APPARENT or RELATIVE...
• TSTropical Storm
• TSRAThunderstorms with rain
• TSTMThunderstorm
• TsunamiA series of long-period waves (on the order of tens of minutes) that are usually generated by an impulsive...
• Tsunami AdvisoryFor products of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC - Pacific (except Alaska, British Columbia and...
• Tsunami Information StatementA tsunami information statement is issued to inform emergency management officials and the public that an...
• Tsunami WarningFor products of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC - Pacific (except Alaska, British Columbia and...
• Tsunami WatchFor products of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC - Pacific (except Alaska, British Columbia and...
• Tule FogRadiation fog in the Central Valley of California. It forms during night and morning hours in late fall and...
• turbidityThe thickness or opaqueness of water caused by the suspension of matter. The turbidity of rivers and lakes...
• turbulenceIrregular motion of the atmosphere, as indicated by gusts and lulls in the wind.
• Turkey TowerSlang for a narrow, individual cloud tower that develops and falls apart rapidly. The sudden development of...
• Turning PointIn hydrologic terms, a temporary point whose elevation is determined by additions and subtractions of...
• TUTT LowTropical Upper-Tropospheric Trough or TUTT Low - A semipermanent trough extending east-northeast to...
• TVCNAverage of at least 2 of GHMI, EGRI, NGPI, HWFI, GFSI, GFNI, EMXI GFNI: Previous cycle GFDN, adjusted GFDN...
• TVLTravel
• TVSTornadic Vortex Signature- Doppler radar signature in the radial velocity field indicating intense...
• TWDToward
• TWEBTranscribed Weather Broadcasts - This NWS aviation product is similar to the Area Forecast (AF) except...
• twilightThe average time of civil twilight, which is the time between civil dawn and sunrise in the morning, and...
• twisterIn the United States, a colloquial term for a tornado.
• Two-Ribbon FlareIn solar-terrestrial terms, a flare that has developed as a pair of bright strands (ribbons) on both sides of...
• Type I, II, III, IV(In solar-terrestrial terms) -Emissions of the sun in radio wavelengths from centimeters to dekameters, under...
• typhoonA tropical cyclone in the Western Pacific Ocean in which the maximum 1-minute sustained surface wind is 64...
• Typhoon SeasonThe part of the year having a relatively high incidence of tropical cyclones. In the western North Pacific...

148 of 3,164 terms in Meteorology and atmospheric science terminology (MLC-0110). Request the full dataset.