"Meteorology Explained: What do all these weather terms mean?"

Weather reports are full of technical terms. Understanding the basics can help you interpret the forecast much better. Here is a small glossary of the most important terms.

High-Pressure System (Anticyclone)

A high-pressure system is a zone of high air pressure where air slowly descends. As it descends, the air warms up and clouds dissipate. Therefore, a stable high-pressure system usually brings sunny, dry, and calm weather. In winter, however, a high-pressure system can also lead to persistent fog and freezing cold (temperature inversion).

Low-Pressure System (Cyclone)

A low-pressure system is a zone of low air pressure where air rises. As it rises, it cools, and clouds and precipitation form. A low-pressure system is therefore almost always associated with cloudy, windy, and wet weather.

Warm Front and Cold Front

Low-pressure systems have fronts, which are boundaries between warm and cold air masses.

• Warm Front: Warm air slowly glides over colder air. This leads to long-lasting, often light to moderate rain or snow. The sky is usually completely overcast.
• Cold Front: Cold, dense air quickly pushes under warmer air, lifting it. This leads to a rapid weather change with often short but heavy showers and thunderstorms. After a cold front passes, it becomes noticeably cooler and the air is clearer.

Feels-Like Temperature

The feels-like temperature describes how we actually perceive the temperature on our skin. It is influenced by two factors:

• Wind Chill Effect: Wind makes the temperature feel colder because it blows away the warm layer of air directly above our skin.
• Mugginess (Heat Index): High humidity in hot weather makes the temperature feel hotter because our sweat cannot evaporate as easily, and the body cannot cool itself as effectively.

Dew Point

The dew point is the temperature at which the air is so saturated that water vapor condenses into dew or fog. A high dew point (e.g., above 18°C / 64°F) is a good measure of muggy air. When the air temperature is close to the dew point, the relative humidity is very high and it feels clammy.