Is there a way to categorize weather?

September 15, 2021 7:38 PM

Hey there Hive mind, As a weather layman, I understand that there are separate measurements for the local weather (temperature, humidity, wind, precipitation, etc). My question: is there a way of grouping certain conditions together in order to categorize them? For example: when the temperature is between 20-30°C, and the humidity is 80%, and this is that, etc, these conditions collectively are known as ABC. Thanks in advance!
posted by JiffyQ to Science & Nature (9 answers total)

Not really a categorization, but apparent temperature combines several conditions.
posted by doctord at 8:07 PM on September 15, 2021

I reckon there are regional nomenclature for certain kinds of seasonal weather days or events around the world.
posted by vrakatar at 9:07 PM on September 15, 2021

Muggy weather is warm and humid.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 9:33 PM on September 15, 2021

Weather type classification systems in meteorology? (Weather pattern classification example.)

The paper discusses a selection of the most popular systems classifying weather types found in climatological literature. The review focuses on the choice of meteorological elements and their value ranges as the differentiating criteria [...] To identify weather types, the authors used cluster analysis and meteorological data (air temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, wind speed and sunshine), as well as circulation data. -- A selection of weather type classification systems and examples of their application. (Theoretical and Applied Climatology (2020) 140:719–730). Weather types classification by Woś, table. On the use of local weather types classification to improve climate understanding: An application on the urban climate of Toulouse (PLoS One. 2018; 13(12): e0208138.)
posted by Iris Gambol at 10:17 PM on September 15, 2021 [2 favorites]

when the temperature is between 20-30°C, and the humidity is 80%, and this is that, etc, these conditions collectively are known as ABC.

I believe this is how a Zambretti Forecaster works, but the categories aren't used to describe the current weather. Instead they're used to describe future weather (i.e. a crude forecast). For example, if the temperature is in this range, the humidity is in that range, and the pressure is this and rising|steady|falling, then the current weather falls into category ABC and whenever we're in category ABC the next day's weather is most likely to be rain/snow/overcast/sunny/etc.

Here's a very detailed write-up of the Zambretti Algorithm including pictures of the physical dial from which the forecast is read showing the categories which are even denoted by the letters A through Z.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 1:49 AM on September 16, 2021 [1 favorite]

My mother, born and raised in Massachusetts, called a particular combination of temperature, humidity, sun and clouds a "State of Maine Day." It always reminded me of June busting out all over.

There are words for some specific weather conditions, especially bad ones. "Blizzard" "Scorcher" "Nor'easter"

Lots of unspecific words come to life with adjectives. "Late day thunderstorm"

OTOH, I've never been real clear about the "dog days of August."
posted by SemiSalt at 7:29 AM on September 16, 2021

I know dew point combines both temperature and humidity ...

Dew point give a more accurate measure of humidity than the relative humidity, because it is 'relative' to the temperature and hot air holds more water than cold, so 80% humidity could be meaningless or it could be a lot, and the relative humidity is incredibly variable throughout the day as the temperature changes, whereas the dew point is much less variable, and only changes with weather changes and not so much with temperature swings.

I'd call the temperature above muggy, but if it's closer to 20C than 30C, it'd be pleasant.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:40 AM on September 16, 2021

Semisalt: The star Sirius is part of the constellation Canis Major so it's the "dog star." It starts rising in late July--August so the "dog days of summer" (in the northern hemisphere.)

It's also the brightest star in the sky so easy to spot.
posted by sevenless at 8:16 AM on September 16, 2021 [1 favorite]

I'm not sure if you're looking for actual meteorological terms, but I think each area of the country has it's own version of a "perfect [season] day". So a perfect autumn day in New England is probably about 55 degrees and sunny. A perfect autumn day in the south might be 75 degrees and partly cloudy(?).
posted by hydra77 at 9:07 AM on September 16, 2021