Meteopedia — Weather glossary

Weather encyclopedia with 342 terms

Browse detailed definitions of atmospheric phenomena, cloud types, measurement instruments, regional winds, meteorological scales, climatology and more.

342 Meteopedia 16 categories
All (342) Atmospheric phenomena (50) Instruments (30) Scales and measurements (10) Clouds (36) Wind (34) Precipitation (24) Temperature (15) Cyclones and severe storms (14) Atmospheric optics (16) Meteorological astronomy (5) Climatology (34) Marine meteorology (15) Air quality (10) Agrometeorology (10) Hazards and safety (10) General (29)
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C

Chilling hours

Accumulation of hours with temperature below 7 °C during winter dormancy, needed for temperate fruit trees to break dormancy and flower properly.

Agrometeorology

D

Damaging hail

Hailstones large enough to damage crops, vehicles, and infrastructure, generally exceeding 1–2 cm in diameter.

Agrometeorology

F

Field capacity

Maximum amount of water a soil can retain against gravity after excess has drained, the optimal moisture point for plant growth.

Agrometeorology

G

Growing degree days

Unit of thermal accumulation measuring heat available for organism growth, calculated as the daily difference between mean temperature and a base temperature.

Agrometeorology

Growing season

Part of the year with temperatures favourable for plant growth, generally defined as days with mean temperature above 5 or 10 °C.

Agrometeorology

L

Late frost

Frost occurring after the start of the growing season in spring, causing serious damage to fruit trees, vineyards, and vegetables that have already budded.

Agrometeorology

P

Phenology

Study of periodic biological events (flowering, migration, harvest) and their relationship with climate and seasons, used as a climate change indicator.

Agrometeorology

V

Vernalisation

Physiological process by which certain plants require a period of winter cold to flower and bear fruit, such as winter wheat or stone fruit trees.

Agrometeorology

W

Water balance

Relationship between water inputs (precipitation, irrigation) and outputs (evapotranspiration, runoff, percolation) in soil or a basin over a given period.

Agrometeorology

Water stress

Condition where a plant loses more water through transpiration than it can absorb through its roots, causing wilting, stomatal closure, and yield reduction.

Agrometeorology