Extended Forecast: A forecast of general weather conditions for days 3 through 5. Fair: A weather term implying no precipitation and no extreme conditions of clouds, visibility or wind.
What is the definition of fair weather?
The NWS uses "fair," typically at night, to describe less than 3/8 cloud cover, with no precipitation and no extremes of visibility, temperature or winds. It describes generally pleasant weather conditions. Everyone has seen the chance of rain or snow in a weather forecast, but what exactly does a 40-percent chance of precipitation mean?
What is fair weather?
MIKE MOSS SAYS: The term "fair" is a somewhat subjective one when it comes to general weather descriptions, more or less meaning pleasant weather with few extremes, given the time of year.
What does the term fair weather friend mean?
fair-weather friend A person who is dependable in good times but is not in times of trouble. For example, You can't rely on Sarah-she's strictly a fair-weather friend. This expression likens fair weather to good times. [Early 1700s] See also: friend The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
How to handle a fair weather friendship?
How to Handle a Fair Weather Friendship
- Method 1 Method 1 of 3: Identifying a Fair Weather Friend. Ask yourself whether or not they stick around during tough times. ...
- Method 2 Method 2 of 3: Maintaining a Relationship with a Fair Weather Friend. Determine whether this friendship is worth the emotional toll it takes. ...
- Method 3 Method 3 of 3: Ending a Fair Weather Friendship. ...
Does fair weather mean sunny?
Meteorology background aside, I personally would expect “Fair” to be synonymous with “Sunny” or “Clear”. This is somewhat true, but “Fair” conditions require all of the following conditions be met: No precipitation occurring. Very light or calm winds.
What do fair skies mean?
Fair. Less than 40% cloud cover, no precipitation and no extreme weather. So, hearing “fair skies” lets you know how much blue sky you are likely to see. It has no bearing on what the temperature is outside — that's a separate weather element. In fact, you can have “fair skies” whether the temperature is 24° F or 84° F ...
Does cloudy mean rain?
Not all clouds lead to precipitation and certain atmospheric conditions must be present to produce rain or snow. This means that it's not necessarily going to rain just because the sky is overcast.
Does Mostly cloudy mean rain?
As you may have guessed by now, mostly cloudy means there are more clouds than sun (or stars, at night). The NWS definition says the sky is classified as mostly cloudy when 3/4 to 7/8 of the sky is covered by clouds, and it can also be referred to as "considerable cloudiness."
When is fire weather watch issued?
Fire Weather Watch: Issued when the forecaster feels reasonably confident that red flag conditions will develop in the next 12 to 48 hours.
What is critical weather pattern?
Critical Fire Weather Pattern: Patterns that can quickly increase fire danger and trigger rapid fire spread. Cumulus: A principal cloud type in the form of individual detached elements, sharp non-fibrous outlines, and vertical development.
What is a headline in weather forecasting?
Headline: A brief statement at the beginning of a forecast that highlights dangerous or changing weather conditions.
What does "heavy" mean in weather?
Heavy: In reference to precipitation, more than a half inch in forecast period.
What is the leading edge of a relatively cold air mass?
Cold Front: The leading edge of a relatively cold air mass. Complex: An area of low pressure within which more than one center is found. Condensation: The physical process by which a vapor becomes a liquid. Conduction: The transfer of energy within and through a conductor by means of molecular activity.
What is the definition of a wave?
Wave: A disturbance propagated by virtue of periodic motions in the atmosphere. Weather: The state of the atmosphere, usually short term, with respect to its effects upon life, property and human activities. Wetting Rain: Precipitation of .10 inches or more over most of the area specified.
What is climate in science?
Climate: The statistical collective of weather conditions over a specified period of time (i.e. usually several decades).
What is a weather symbol?
Weather symbols are graphical representations of a range of atmospheric conditions commonly used during meteorological forecasts to display current and predict future weather conditions. It is commonly used in conjunction with a synoptic weather map but can be displayed separately as well. The goal of this article is to help you better understand ...
Why are forecasts accompanied by additional information?
Often though, they are accompanied by additional information and a short text summary of the forecast to give you a better understanding of upcoming weather conditions.
What are the signs of thunderstorms?
Thunderstorms with strong winds, lightning, and heavy rain can be expected. These are one of the symbols that you should not ignore, simply due to the dangerous conditions that accompany a weather event.
What does the hail symbol mean?
This symbol indicates a hail (water in its frozen form) storm. Hail is very often associated with thunderstorms due to the similar weather conditions that produce both. If you are interested, you can read more about hail in this article.
What does sleet mean in weather?
Sleet. When sleet is forecasted, it usually means a combination of rain and snow, and even small ice pellets are expected to fall. The formation of sleet is a little more complex than you may think. For a complete explanation, you can read more about its formation and characteristics in this article.
What is the best indicator of weather?
Apart from the weather symbol itself, the maximum/minimum temperature is probably the best indicator of what future weather conditions will be like. It is also the part of the weather report most people pay attention to, as most of us would like to know how to dress and plan our day.
Is wind speed and direction indicator widely used?
Wind speed and direction indicators are not that widely used, especially by weather services aimed at providing forecasts for the general public.
What is the temperature in a forecast?
The temperature in a forecast is used to describe the forecast maximum and minimum temperature, or in some cases, the temperature at a specific time.
What is wind forecast?
The wind describes the prevailing direction from which the wind is blowing with speeds in miles per hour. The wind forecast is included in the first three periods of the zone forecast.
What is the National Weather Service?
The National Weather Service issued forecasts for sky condition, temperature, wind and precipitation on a routine basis. The terminology used in these forecasts is quite variable. Listed below are descriptors of regularly used weather terms and their meanings to help give a better understanding of each forecast.
What is sky condition?
The sky condition describes the predominant/average sky cover based on percent of the sky covered by opaque (not transparent) clouds. If a high probability of precipitation (60% or greater) is expected, then the sky condition may be omitted since it is inferred from the precipitation forecast.
What is the probability of precipitation?
The probability of precipitation (POP), is defined as the likelihood of occurrence (expressed as a percent) of a measurable amount of liquid precipitation (or the water equivalent of frozen precipitation) during a specified period of time at any given point in the forecast area. Measurable precipitation is equal to or greater than 0.01 inches. Unless specified otherwise, the time period is normally 12 hours. The forecast area, or zone, is generally considered to be a county. NWS forecasters use such categorical terms as occasional, intermittent, or periods of to describe a precipitation event that has a high probability of occurrence (80%+), but is expected to be of an "on and off" nature.
What temperature can you hear fair skies?
In fact, you can have “fair skies” whether the temperature is 24° F or 84° F.
What are the elements of weather?
First, understand that your basic weather forecast includes the following 5 weather elements: precipitation, probability of precipitation, temperature, wind, and sky condition.
What is the best interpretation of a forecaster?
Your best interpretation is knowing your forecaster. They tend to use the same interpretation each time and will explain further if there are other discussion points to their predictions.
What is a PoP in a forecast?
PoP Examples. Since both variables have a certain slush factor, PoP can have different meanings depending on which variable the forecaster focuses on. If the forecaster thinks it definitely will rain (C = 1) over 60% of their forecast area (A = 0.60), then. PoP = C x A. PoP = 1 x 0.6. PoP = 0.6 or 60% chance of precipitation.
What is 60% chance of rain?
If they say 60% chance of rain, 60% of their area will experience rain at some point during the forecast period. The forecaster will often mention which interpretation they adhere to. Keep in mind, PoP only refers to the chance of precipitation, NOT how much rain you will get. A 100% chance of rain could mean buckets of rain all day ...
What is the probability of precipitation?
Weather forecasters use the term PoP, or Probability of Precipitation when describing the percent chance of rain. PoP is defined as the chance of measurable precipitation occurring at any point in a selected area. This definition means that at any given point in the forecast area, there is a PoP percent chance of measurable precipitation during the time period of the forecast. But where do weather forecasters arrive at this value?
What is the difference between a 100% chance of rain and a 20% chance of rain?
Likewise, 20% chance of rain means you’re unlikely to see any rain at all today, or 20% of the area is going to be drenched.
What is the second variable in a forecast?
The second variable is “area affected” or A. This is the percent of the forecast area will receive the precipitation if there is any precipitation. This variable comes down to the forecaster’s best guess again based on models and other data.
What does "showers likely" mean?
Some forecasters offer terms like ‘isolated showers’, ‘scattered showers’, or ‘showers likely’ when they wish to avoid presenting a numeric value for PoP. Isolated generally means ‘low PoP’, scattered means roughly 50-50 and showers likely corresponds to high PoP values.
