Supercell
A deep rotating thunderstorm capable of producing large hail, destructive winds and tornadoes.
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This page brings together atmospheric science, storm dynamics, clouds, wind, precipitation, marine weather, climate and forecasting tools in one organized hub.
A deep rotating thunderstorm capable of producing large hail, destructive winds and tornadoes.
Read Full GuideA sudden downward burst of air from a thunderstorm that spreads damaging winds at the surface.
Read Full GuideA warm phase of the tropical Pacific that can reshape weather patterns around the world.
Read Full GuideFast upper-level winds that guide storms and separate air masses.
Read Full GuideCore atmospheric concepts used in daily forecasts, synoptic analysis and weather education.
The layer of gases surrounding Earth, where weather develops and climate processes take place.
Read Full GuideThe lowest layer of the atmosphere, where clouds, storms, wind and most weather phenomena occur.
Read Full GuideThe atmospheric layer above the troposphere, best known for containing the ozone layer.
Read Full GuideThe force exerted by the weight of the air above a specific location.
Read Full GuideAn area where atmospheric pressure is higher than its surroundings, often linked with calmer weather.
Read Full GuideAn area of lower atmospheric pressure, commonly associated with clouds, rain, wind and unsettled weather.
Read Full GuideThe rate of pressure change across distance; stronger gradients usually produce stronger winds.
Read Full GuideA large body of air with relatively uniform temperature and humidity characteristics.
Read Full GuideA body of air colder than the surface or region it moves over.
Read Full GuideA body of air warmer than the surface or region it moves over.
Read Full GuideThe percentage of water vapor in the air compared with the maximum it can hold at that temperature.
Read Full GuideThe temperature at which air becomes saturated and water vapor begins to condense.
Read Full GuideCooling that occurs when rising air expands as pressure decreases with height.
Read Full GuideWarming that occurs when sinking air compresses as pressure increases.
Read Full GuideThe rate at which air temperature changes with height in the atmosphere.
Read Full GuideA layer where temperature increases with height, often trapping pollution or fog near the surface.
Read Full GuideA condition that favors rising air, cloud growth and thunderstorm development.
Read Full GuideA pocket of colder air aloft or near storm outflows that can increase thunderstorm potential.
Read Full GuideThe vertical transport of heat and moisture through rising and sinking air.
Read Full GuideThe horizontal transport of heat, moisture or other atmospheric properties by wind.
Read Full GuideA measure of local rotation in the atmosphere, important in storm and cyclone development.
Read Full GuideLarge-scale patterns that shape regional weather, storm tracks and day-to-day forecast changes.
A rotating low-pressure system that can bring clouds, wind, rain and storms.
Read Full GuideA high-pressure system with sinking air, often linked to calmer and drier conditions.
Read Full GuideA boundary between two air masses with different temperature or humidity characteristics.
Read Full GuideA boundary where colder air advances and forces warmer air to rise.
Read Full GuideA boundary where warmer air moves over retreating colder air.
Read Full GuideA front formed when a cold front catches up with a warm front.
Read Full GuideA front that remains nearly in the same place for an extended period.
Read Full GuideAn elongated area of lower pressure that can help organize clouds and precipitation.
Read Full GuideAn elongated area of higher pressure often associated with settled weather.
Read Full GuideA persistent high-pressure pattern that slows or redirects normal weather movement.
Read Full GuideA narrow band of strong upper-level winds that influences storm tracks and temperature patterns.
Read Full GuideA strong upper-air wind belt that separates colder polar air from milder mid-latitude air.
Read Full GuideA low-pressure system separated from the main upper-air flow, often moving slowly.
Read Full GuideA low-pressure system that forms or intensifies over the Mediterranean Sea.
Read Full GuideA rare Mediterranean storm with some tropical-like characteristics.
Read Full GuideDangerous convective and wind-related phenomena that can produce damage, disruption and rapid weather changes.
A thunderstorm capable of producing damaging winds, large hail, tornadoes or intense rainfall.
Read Full GuideA long-lived rotating thunderstorm capable of producing giant hail, damaging winds and tornadoes.
Read Full GuideA violently rotating column of air extending from a storm cloud to the ground.
Read Full GuideA rotating funnel-shaped cloud that has not reached the ground.
Read Full GuideA lowered cloud base beneath a thunderstorm updraft, sometimes linked with tornado formation.
Read Full GuideA low, wedge-shaped cloud often found along the leading edge of thunderstorm outflow.
Read Full GuideA line of thunderstorms capable of producing heavy rain, lightning and damaging winds.
Read Full GuideA long-lived, widespread windstorm produced by organized thunderstorms.
Read Full GuideA radar signature shaped like a bow, often associated with damaging straight-line winds.
Read Full GuideA strong downward rush of air from a thunderstorm that spreads outward at the surface.
Read Full GuideA small but intense downburst capable of producing sudden destructive winds.
Read Full GuideA larger downburst affecting a wider area than a microburst.
Read Full GuideThe leading edge of cool outflow air spreading away from a thunderstorm.
Read Full GuideA boundary created by storm-cooled air that can trigger new thunderstorms.
Read Full GuideA change in wind speed or direction with height or distance.
Read Full GuideA boundary separating moist air from much drier air, often important in severe storm development.
Read Full GuideA hook-shaped radar feature sometimes associated with tornadic supercells.
Read Full GuideA downdraft region on the rear side of a supercell, often important in tornado development.
Read Full GuideA downdraft region in the forward part of a supercell, usually associated with rain and hail.
Read Full GuideA sudden electrical discharge produced by charge separation within storms.
Read Full GuideThe sound produced by the rapid expansion of air heated by lightning.
Read Full GuideA general gateway to cloud types, cloud formation and cloud identification guides.
Visible collections of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere.
Read Full GuideA complete guide to the main families of clouds and how they appear in the sky.
Read Full GuideThe process by which rising, cooling air condenses into visible cloud droplets or ice crystals.
Read Full GuideThe fraction of the sky covered by clouds, often reported in oktas or percentages.
Read Full GuideA deep thunderstorm cloud capable of producing heavy rain, lightning, hail and severe weather.
Read Full GuideRain, snow, hail and other forms of water that fall from clouds to the ground.
Any form of water, liquid or solid, that falls from clouds and reaches the ground.
Read Full GuideLiquid precipitation falling from clouds in drops large enough to reach the ground.
Read Full GuideIntermittent precipitation from convective clouds, often changing quickly in intensity.
Read Full GuideSmall ice pellets or mixed precipitation depending on regional meteorological usage.
Read Full GuideRain that freezes on contact with cold surfaces, creating ice accumulation.
Read Full GuideBalls or irregular lumps of ice produced inside strong thunderstorms.
Read Full GuideSoft ice pellets formed when supercooled droplets freeze onto snowflakes.
Read Full GuideA dry area on the leeward side of mountains caused by air losing moisture on the windward side.
Read Full GuidePrecipitation caused when moist air is forced to rise over mountains.
Read Full GuideRain produced by rising warm air and convective cloud development.
Read Full GuideTerms related to wind speed, wind direction, local winds and air movement near the surface and aloft.
The horizontal movement of air from areas of higher pressure toward lower pressure.
Read Full GuideThe rate at which air moves past a point, commonly measured in km/h, m/s or knots.
Read Full GuideA scale that estimates wind strength based on observed effects on land or sea.
Read Full GuideA warm, dry downslope wind that develops on the leeward side of mountains.
Read Full GuideA strong cold downslope wind that affects parts of the Adriatic and surrounding regions.
Read Full GuideA strong, cold northwesterly wind affecting southern France and the western Mediterranean.
Read Full GuideThermal conditions, heat stress terms and measurements used in weather forecasts.
A measure of how hot or cold the air is at a given location.
Read Full GuideA prolonged period of unusually hot weather for a specific region and season.
Read Full GuideA period of unusually cold weather that can affect health, agriculture and infrastructure.
Read Full GuideA measure of how hot it feels when humidity is combined with air temperature.
Read Full GuideA measure of how cold it feels when wind removes heat from the body.
Read Full GuideAn apparent temperature that combines factors such as humidity, wind and sunshine.
Read Full GuideIce crystals that form on surfaces when temperatures fall below freezing.
Read Full GuideFrost that forms at ground level even when standard air temperature may be above freezing.
Read Full GuideA city area that remains warmer than surrounding rural regions due to buildings and human activity.
Read Full GuideThe highest temperature recorded or forecast during a specific period.
Read Full GuideThe lowest temperature recorded or forecast during a specific period.
Read Full GuideCold-season hazards and snow-related terms used in forecasts and warnings.
Heavy snow produced when cold air moves over warmer lake waters.
Read Full GuideA sudden, intense burst of snow with strong winds and sharply reduced visibility.
Read Full GuideA condition in which blowing or falling snow severely reduces visibility.
Read Full GuideA storm that produces significant freezing rain and ice accumulation.
Read Full GuideA thin, nearly transparent layer of ice on roads and pavements.
Read Full GuideA rapid flow of snow down a slope, often triggered by instability in the snowpack.
Read Full GuideSea conditions, coastal hazards and marine forecasting terms important for navigation and coastal weather.
The vertical distance between a wave crest and the following trough.
Read Full GuideA description of the sea surface condition based on wave height and wind effects.
Read Full GuideA rise in sea level caused by strong winds and low pressure during storms.
Read Full GuideThe regular rise and fall of sea level caused mainly by the Moon and the Sun.
Read Full GuideA rotating column of air over water, often connected with a cloud base.
Read Full GuideThe temperature of the ocean or sea surface, important for weather and climate patterns.
Read Full GuideThe distance over water that wind blows in one direction, influencing wave growth.
Read Full GuideStrong winds at sea, commonly used in marine forecasts and warnings.
Read Full GuideLong-term atmospheric patterns, climate variability and global-scale weather drivers.
Long-term changes in Earth’s climate system, including temperature, precipitation and extreme events.
Read Full GuideThe warming process caused by gases that trap heat in the atmosphere.
Read Full GuideAtmospheric gases such as carbon dioxide and methane that trap heat.
Read Full GuideA warm phase of the tropical Pacific Ocean that can influence weather patterns worldwide.
Read Full GuideA cool phase of the tropical Pacific Ocean that affects global weather patterns.
Read Full GuideThe El Niño–Southern Oscillation, a major driver of year-to-year climate variability.
Read Full GuideA climate pattern that affects pressure, wind and winter weather across the North Atlantic and Europe.
Read Full GuideA climate pattern linked to pressure changes around the Arctic and mid-latitudes.
Read Full GuideLand degradation in dry regions driven by climate factors and human activity.
Read Full GuideTools, observations and forecast terms used by meteorologists to monitor and predict weather.
A prediction of future atmospheric conditions based on observations and models.
Read Full GuideVery short-range forecasting focused on the next minutes to few hours.
Read Full GuideComputer-based forecasting that simulates atmospheric processes using mathematical models.
Read Full GuideA computer system that forecasts atmospheric conditions using physics and observations.
Read Full GuideA set of model forecasts used to estimate uncertainty and possible weather outcomes.
Read Full GuideA remote-sensing tool that detects precipitation and storm structure.
Read Full GuideRadar that measures motion within precipitation, helping detect rotation and wind shear.
Read Full GuideImages from weather satellites used to monitor clouds, storms, smoke, dust and water vapor.
Read Full GuideAn instrument package launched into the atmosphere to measure temperature, humidity, pressure and wind.
Read Full GuideA weather instrument carried by a balloon that transmits upper-air observations.
Read Full GuideAn instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure.
Read Full GuideAn instrument used to measure the amount of rainfall.
Read Full GuideA set of instruments used to record local weather conditions.
Read Full GuideAn aviation weather forecast for airports and flight operations.
Read Full GuideTerms used for reduced visibility, suspended particles and weather-related air quality conditions.
Tiny water droplets suspended in the air, reducing visibility less severely than fog.
Read Full GuideReduced visibility caused by fine particles or pollutants suspended in the air.
Read Full GuideAirborne particles produced by fires that can reduce visibility and affect health.
Read Full GuideA storm carrying large amounts of dust, often reducing visibility dramatically.
Read Full GuideA powerful dust storm produced by thunderstorm outflow winds.
Read Full GuideDust transported from the Sahara Desert, often affecting visibility and air quality across Europe.
Read Full GuideA scale used to communicate how polluted the air is and what health risks may exist.
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