Aeronautical Terms beginning with W
WA
AIRMET
Wake turbulence
Turbulence found to the rear of a solid body in motion relative to a fluid. In aviation terminology, the turbulence caused by a moving aircraft.
Wall cloud
The well-defined bank of vertically developed clouds having a wall-like appearance which form the outer boundary of the eye of a well-developed tropical cyclone.
Warm front
Any non-occluded front which moves in such a way that warmer air replaces colder air.
Warm Front
Any nonoccluded front that moves in such a way that warmer air replaces colder air.
Warm sector
The area covered by warm air at the surface and bounded by the warm front and cold front of a wave cyclone.
WARP
Weather And Radar Processing.
Water equivalent
The depth of water that would result from the melting of snow or ice.
Water vapor
Water in the invisible gaseous form.
Waterspout
A tornado that forms over water.
Wave cyclone
A cyclone which forms and moves along a front. The circulation about the cyclone center tends to produce a wavelike deformation of the front.
Weather
The state of the atmosphere, mainly with respect to its effects on life and human activities; refers to instantaneous conditions or short term changes as opposed to climate.
Weather Advisory
In standard aviation weather forecast terminology, a warning of hazardous weather conditions not predicted in the forecast area that may affect air traffic operations. These reports are prepared by the NWS.
Weather and radar processor (WARP)
A device that provides real-time, accurate, predictive, and strategic weather information presented in an integrated manner in the National Airspace System (NAS).
Weather depiction chart
Details surface conditions as derived from METAR and other surface observations.
Weather radar
Radar specifically designed for observing weather. Some types are cloud detection radar and storm detection radar.
Weather vane
A wind vane.
Wedge
Same as ridge—an elongated area of relatively high atmospheric pressure; usually associated with and most clearly identified as an area of maximum anticyclonic curvature of the wind flow (isobars, contours, or streamlines).
Wet bulb
Contraction of either wet-bulb temperature or wet-bulb thermometer.
Wet-bulb temperature
The lowest temperature that can be obtained on a wet-bulb thermometer in any given sample of air, by evaporation of water (or ice) from the muslin wick; used in computing dew point and relative humidity.
Wet-bulb thermometer
A thermometer with a muslin-covered bulb used to measure wet-bulb temperature.
WFO
Weather Forecast Office
Whirlwind
A small, rotating column of air; may be visible as a dust devil.
Willy-willy
A tropical cyclone of hurricane strength near Australia.
Wind
Air in motion relative to the surface of the earth; generally used to denote horizontal movement.
Wind direction
The direction from which wind is blowing.
Wind shear
The rate of change of wind velocity (direction and/or speed) per unit distance; conventionally expressed as vertical or horizontal wind shear.
Wind speed
Rate of wind movement in distance per unit time.
Wind vane
An instrument to indicate wind direction.
Wind velocity
A vector term to include both wind direction and wind speed.
Winds and temperature aloft forecast (FD)
A twice daily forecast that provides wind and temperature forecasts for specific locations in the contiguous United States.
WMO
World Meteorological Organization
WMSC
Weather Message Switching Center
WMSCR
Weather Message Switching Center Replacement
WND
Wind
WS
SIGMET
WST
Convective Significant Meteorological Information
WW
Severe Weather Watch Bulletin
WX
Weather
WX DEV
Weather Deviation
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