Bermuda high - A semi-permanent subtropical high over the North Atlantic. Can contribute to excessive heat and humidity in the southern and eastern US. The placement of this high is also the main steering force for hurricanes that develop in the Atlantic.

Radiational cooling - The cooling of the earth's surface that occurs at night when the absorbed heat from the sun that occurred during the day radiates back up to space in the form of infrared radiation. Radiational cooling is maximized during clear nights when there are light winds.

Nacreous Clouds - Nacreous clouds are rare and are rarely found too far south of the poles. They form at an impressive elevation between 68,000 to 100,000 ft where temperatures are at or below -108F. They appear as large thin discs which tend to reflect vivid colors. Due to their high elevations, they can only be seen when the sun is just below the horizon.

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.

Cirrostratus clouds - A widespread, thin high level cloud that is composed of ice crystals. These clouds form a thin veil-like layer over the entire sky. When sunlight or moonlight passes through these clouds, a ring or halo may form. Many times cirrostratus clouds arrive 12-24 hours before a rain or snow event.

SREF - An abbreviation for Short Range Ensemble Forecast. An ensemble forecast is a group of forecast model runs that each have a slightly different set of initial conditions plugged into them. This is used to get a spread of different model solutions that can show the variability that occurs in certain weather patterns. Spaghetti plots are an example of a forecast plot that meteorologists use when looking at an ensemble forecast.

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.