Perihelion - The point in the orbit of a planet in which it is closest to the sun. For Earth, the time of year when it's orbital path comes closest to the sun occurs in early January. This can be surprising to learn for folks in the Northern Hemisphere who experience winter during that time of the year. This just proves how much more impactful the Earth's tilt is compared to its distance from the sun during its orbit.

Barometer - An instrument used to monitor variations in air pressure at the surface. The first barometer was invented by the Italian physicist Torricelli in 1643. For the centuries to follow, the barometer was the main tool used in weather forecasting.

Snow roller - A phenomenon that can occur when there is a wet snow on the ground combined with strong winds. Snow rollers look like the beginnings of the snowballs that humans roll when constructing a snowman.

Dust Bowl - An extended period of exceptional drought that affected the Great Plains of North America during the 1930s. Agricultural activities were crippled during this epic drought. Heat waves and occasional dust storms were fairly common during the dust bowl years. On some occasions, the dust storms in the Plains made it all the way to the east coast.

Drizzle - A type of precipitation consisting of numerous tiny droplets of water less than 0.5 mm in diameter. Drizzle typically falls when there is fog or low stratus cloud cover over an area.

Altostratus Clouds - Are gray or blue-gray middle level clouds composed of ice crystals and water droplets. These clouds usually cover the entire sky. In the thinner areas of the cloud, the sun may be dimly visible as a round disk.

Aerosols - Tiny liquid or solid particles that become suspended in the atmosphere. Some sources for aerosols are volcanoes, wild fires, desert wind storms, and the burning of fossil fuels.