Cumulonimbus - A form of a cumulus cloud that grows vertically to great heights. These clouds are associated with heavy thunderstorm activity and are the result of strong currents of rising air called updrafts.

Meteorology - The study of the physics, chemistry, and dynamics of the atmosphere and the direct effects of the atmosphere upon the Earth's surface, the oceans, and life in general. An understanding of these atmospheric processes is applied when predicting the weather.

Land Breeze - A land breeze is an off shore wind, meaning the wind blows from the land out to sea. It occurs at night when the land becomes sufficiently colder than the air over the water. Land breezes are most likely to occur on clear, calm nights. The opposite of a land breeze is a sea breeze.

Back Door Cold Front - Most cold fronts in the Northern Hemisphere come in from the north, northwest, or west. They are usually found on the backside of a low pressure system. Back door cold fronts come in from the northeast or east, and are often driven by Canadian based high pressure systems.

Doldrums - An east-west belt of light and variable surface winds where the trade winds of the two hemispheres converge. This region is located in a belt just north and south of the equator. Sailers dubbed this area as the doldrums because the lack of wind would mean their ships would stay idle for weeks at a time.

Syzygy - This term refers to the 2 times a month when the sun and the moon are lined up, which results in either a new or full moon. In both cases, the gravitational effects of these astronomical bodies reinforce each other and coastal areas therefore experience higher high tides and lower low tides.

Rossby waves - Also known as planetary waves. Rossby waves are a series of long-wavelength troughs and ridges that occur along the main branches of the jet stream. They form due to the rotation of the Earth and are an important way for the planet to distribute heat away from the equator as well as cold air from the poles.