Ice Pellets - Ice pellets are small, translucent balls of ice that are also known as sleet. Ice pellets form when falling snow encounters a region of above freezing air and melts or partially melts into raindrops and then refreezes as it encounters sub-freezing air near the surface. Ice pellets tend to bounce when they hit the ground.

Sundog - A colored luminous spot produced by refraction of light through ice crystals. Sun dogs are seen as bright spots that appear on either side of the sun. This optical phenomenon is also referred to as parhelion. They are most commonly seen during the winter season.

Radar Echo - What meteorologists refer to when diagnosing radio waves that are reflected back to the radar antenna. This occurs when the radio waves emitted by the radar run into precipitation as well as non-weather related phenomenon such as insects. The radar translates the returned signal into a visual display showing the radar echoes position from the radar site.

Rime Ice - A white, granular, and opaque deposit of ice formed by the rapid freezing of supercooled water droplets onto a surface. Rime ice can accumulate to a few inches on trees and other objects when subfreezing air and fog lingers over a region for an extended period of time. A type off precipitation known as graupel is created by the accumulation of rime ice on ice crystals.

Winter Storm Watch - It is issued by the National Weather Service when severe winter weather conditions - including heavy snow, blowing snow, freezing rain, and or sleet may soon affect the area. A watch indicates there is still some degree of uncertainty in how the storm will play out for the area. If the watch is upgraded to a warning, confidence in the details of the pending winter storm has increased.

Magnetic Pole - Either of the two points on the Earth's surface at which magnetic meridians converge. The magnetic poles on Earth are located at the center of the north and south poles. Auroras are common at the poles due to the convergence of electrically charged particles there from the sun.

Doppler Effect - The shift in frequency that occurs when an object goes from moving towards an observer to away from an observer. Everyone has heard this when a police car drives by. As the police car is approaching, the siren will have a high pitch. Then when the police car begins moving away from you the pitch of the siren lowers. This effect is what weather radars use to calculate velocity.