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Thunderstorm Terminology

Thunderstorm — Updraft — Downdraft

Cold front — Cumulonimbus cloud

Latent heat — Isolated thunderstorms

Cloudburst — Precipitation — Hail

Thunderstorm

Updraft

Downdraft

Cold front

Cumulonimbus

cloud

Latent heat

Isolated

thunderstorms

an upward flow of air

lightning, thunder, rain, and dense clouds;

may include heavy rain, hail, and strong winds

leading edge of a mass of heavy, colder air

that is advancing

giant clouds piled on top of each other; top

spreads out in the shape of an anvil

a downward flow of air

heat released when water vapor condenses; is

the main driving energy of thunderstorms

short-lived storms with light winds; usually do

not produce violent weather on the ground

sudden and short-lived heavy rainfall that

usually occurs in a small area

any moisture that falls from clouds and

reaches the ground

balls of ice about .2 inch (5 mm) to 6 inches

(15 cm) that sometimes accompany storms

Cloudburst

Precipitation

Hail

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Thunderstorm Terminology

Dry thunderstorm — Thunder — Lightning

Bead lightning — Ball lightning — Microburst

Multiple-cell storms — Supercell

Mesocyclone — Tornado

Dry thunderstorm

Thunder

Lightning

Bead lightning

Ball lightning

Microburst

Multiple-cell storms

sound heard when lightning heats the air so

strongly and quickly it produces shock waves

a storm where all raindrops evaporate while

falling and none reach the ground

infrequent; looks like a string of bright spots;

also called chain lightning

rare; looks like a bright ball and occurs near

the ground; also called globe lightning

discharge of electricity after electric charges

on particles in clouds grow large enough

winds that hit the ground, fan out, and cause

a sudden change in wind direction or speed

storms where one cell grows stronger, then

weakens while another takes over; repeats

a large, dangerous, and powerful

thunderstorm that contains a mesocyclone

an air mass in a supercell that rotates rapidly

a violent windstorm where destructive winds

swirl, often in a funnel shape, over land

Supercell

Mesocyclone

Tornado

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Thunderstorm: lightning, thunder, rain, and dense clouds;

may include heavy rain, hail, and strong winds

Thunderstorm:/lightning,

thunder,/rain,/and///////

dense/clouds;/may///////

include/heavy/rain,/hail,/

and/strong/winds////////

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Updraft: an upward flow of air

Updraft:/an/upward////

flow/of/air///////////////

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Downdraft: a downward flow of air

Downdraft:/a////////////

downward/flow/of/air///

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Cold front: leading edge of a mass of heavy, colder air that

is advancing

Cold/front:/leading/////

edge/of/a/mass/of/////

heavy,/colder/air/that//

is/advancing/////////////

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Cumulonimbus cloud: giant clouds piled on top of each

other; top spreads out in the shape of an anvil

Cumulonimbus/cloud:////

giant/clouds/piled/on///

top/of/each/other;/top/

spreads/out/in/the//////

shape/of/an/anvil///////

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Latent heat: heat released when water vapor condenses; is

the main driving energy of thunderstorms

Latent/heat:/heat///////

released/when/water////

vapor/condenses;/is/the/

main/driving/energy/of/

thunderstorms///////////

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Isolated thunderstorms: short-lived storms with light winds;

usually do not produce violent weather on the ground

Isolated/thunderstorms:/

short-lived/storms/with/

light/winds;/usually/do//

not/produce/violent/////

weather/on/the/ground/

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Cloudburst: sudden and short-lived heavy rainfall that

usually occurs in a small area

Cloudburst:/sudden/////

and/short-lived/heavy//

rainfall/that/usually////

occurs/in/a/small/area//

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Precipitation: any moisture that falls from clouds and

reaches the ground

Precipitation:/any///////

moisture/that/falls//////

from/clouds/and////////

reaches/the/ground/////

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Hail: balls of ice about .2 inch (5 mm) to 6 inches (15 cm)

that sometimes accompany storms

Hail:/balls/of/ice////////

about/.2/inch/(5/mm)///

to/6/inches/(15/cm)/////

that/sometimes//////////

accompany/storms//////

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Dry thunderstorm: a storm where all raindrops evaporate

while falling and none reach the ground

Dry/thunderstorm:/a////

storm/where/all//////////

raindrops/evaporate////

while/falling/and/none//

reach/the/ground///////

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Thunder: sound heard when lightning heats the air so

strongly and quickly it produces shock waves

Thunder:/sound/heard///

when/lightning/heats////

the/air/so/strongly/and/

quickly/it/produces//////

shock/waves//////////////

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Lightning: discharge of electricity after electric charges on

particles in clouds grow large enough

Lightning:/discharge/of/

electricity/after/////////

electric/charges/on/////

particles/in/clouds///////

grow/large/enough//////

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Bead lightning: infrequent; looks like a string of bright

spots; also called chain lightning

Bead/lightning://////////

infrequent;/looks/like/a/

string/of/bright/spots;//

also/called/chain////////

lightning/////////////////

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Ball lightning: rare; looks like a bright ball and occurs near

the ground; also called globe lightning

Ball/lightning:/rare;/////

looks/like/a/bright/ball//

and/occurs/near/the////

ground;/also/called/////

globe/lightning//////////

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Microburst: winds that hit the ground, fan out, and cause a

sudden change in wind direction or speed

Microburst:/winds/that//

hit/the/ground,/fan/out,

and/cause/a/sudden////

change/in/wind//////////

direction/or/speed//////

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Multiple-cell storms: storms where one cell grows stronger,

then weakens while another takes over; repeats

Multiple-cell/storms:////

storms/where/one/cell///

grows/stronger,/then////

weakens/while/another/

takes/over;/repeats/////

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Supercell: a large, dangerous, and powerful thunderstorm

that contains a mesocyclone

Supercell:/a/large,///////

dangerous,/and//////////

powerful/thunderstorm/

that/contains/a//////////

mesocyclone/////////////

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Mesocyclone: an air mass in a supercell that rotates rapidly

Mesocyclone:/an/air////

mass/in/a/supercell/////

that/rotates/rapidly////

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Tornado: a violent windstorm where destructive winds

swirl, often in a funnel shape, over land

Tornado:/a/violent///////

windstorm/where/////////

destructive/winds/swirl,//

often/in/a/funnel///////

shape,/over/land////////

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