Hydrosphere - The hydrosphere is composed of the sum of all the water on Earth. This includes all the Earth's surface waters such as oceans and lakes, as well as all sources of frozen water. Water vapor and therefore clouds are also included in the hydrosphere.

CAPE - An important term used to describe how unstable the atmosphere is. CAPE is an acronym for Convective Available Potential Energy. CAPE is a measure of potential energy in the atmosphere. The greater the CAPE is, the stronger a thunderstorm will be if one develops. The presence of CAPE alone does not mean thunderstorms will develop, as other factors must be overcome for the energy potential to be realized.

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.

Downburst - A strong wind that is the result of a strong downdraft that occurs beneath a severe thunderstorm. Downdrafts are pockets of air that accelerate downward from a thunderstorm, and then spread horizontally when they reach the ground. The resultant strong winds that are experienced at the surface is the downburst.

Short waves - Relatively small, short-wavelength ripples that occur in the mid to upper levels of the atmosphere. These are basically small-scale troughs that can produce bands of precipitation as they induce upward vertical motions. Short waves tend to move quickly along the prevailing winds and are a common occurrence in the vicinity of a jet stream.

Windward - The side of an object facing the wind. For example, if the wind is blowing in from the west, an object's west facing side would be the windward side. Conversely, the east side of the object would be the leeward side.

Dew - Water that has condensed onto objects near the ground when the surface temperature of the object falls below the dew point. The most common surfaces that dew will form on are grasses and other vegetation. Dew can be an important source of moisture for plants during a drought.