Weather

English speakers love to talk about the weather. It is a way of breaking the ice (starting a conversation). People talk about the weather on the phone and in person. Friends and family talk about the weather before they discuss what's new. Co-workers talk about the weather before starting a hard day of work. Even strangers discuss the weather. Learn the proper vocabulary and expressions, and you will find it easy to start a conversation anytime and anywhere with anyone you meet!

Common questions and responses about Weather

What's it like out?	It's miserable out.
How's the weather?	It's ten below. (-10 degrees)
Do you have rain?	We haven't had a drop of rain for weeks.
What's the temperature there?	It's 22 degrees Celsius.
It's snowing here, what's it doing there?	It's pouring outside. (raining heavily)
Beautiful day, huh?	We couldn't ask for a better day than this.
What's the weather forecast?	They're calling for blue skies all week.

 

One common mistake learners make when talking about the weather is mixing up the noun, adjective and verb forms of weather words.

Example 1: How's the weather?
It is snow. Incorrect
It is snowing. Correct
It is snowy. Correct

Example 2: What's it like out?
It is rain. Incorrect
It is raining. Correct
It is rainy. Correct

Example 3: What's the weather like?
It is sun. Incorrect
It is sunny. Correct
The sun is shining. Correct

Weather Vocabulary

Word Part of speech		Meaning	Example Sentence
airconditioner/airconditioning noun		an appliance that cools down the air in a home or building	The airconditioner keeps the office nice and comfortable even when it's very hot outside.
avalanche noun		a dangerous slide of snow down a mountain	The skiers were warned about a possible avalanche.
below freezing preposition/adjective		temperature less than 0 degrees Celsius/(32F)	It's supposed to go below freezing before the weekend.
blizzard noun		a storm with lots of snow and wind	The airplane couldn't take-off because of the blizzard.
boiling hot adjective + noun		common expression for describing a very hot day	It was boiling hot, so we all jumped into the lake.
breeze noun		light wind	Don't bother with a hat. There is always a breeze near the ocean.
Celsius noun		measurement of temperature (0 degrees is freezing/100 is boiling)	In the summer, the average temperature here is 20 degrees Celsius.
chilly adjective		cold	It's a bit chilly today, so I think you should wear a coat.
clear adjective		when the sky is blue because no clouds are blocking the sun	On a clear night you can see a lot of stars.
cloud/cloudy noun/adjective		water in the sky that appears as a white or grey mass	It may look cloudy in the morning, but the sun always comes out by afternoon.
cold spell adjective + noun		a period of colder than average weather	They're calling for a cold spell, so we put off our camping trip.
cool adjective		temperature in between warm and cold	The days were boiling hot, but the nights were cool and comfortable for sleeping.
degrees noun		measurement for temperature	I don't feel the heat until it's about forty degrees Celsius outside.
drizzling continuous verb		raining slightly	I think I'll take the dog for a walk. It's only drizzling now.
drought noun		a long period with no rainfall	Forest fires are a serious danger during a drought.
Fahrenheit noun		measurement of temperature (32 degrees is freezing/212 is boiling)	It was 100 degrees Fahrenheit when we got to San Francisco.
flood noun		overflow of rain water	The flood was so bad, our basement was full of water.
flurries noun		very light snowfall	There are a few flurries but the snow isn't sticking to the roads.
fog/foggy noun/adjective		thick water vapor that blocks one's vision	We couldn't see the bridge because there was too much fog.
forecast noun/verb		the expected weather for the future	According to the 5 day forecast, it's going to rain on our wedding day.
freezing cold adjective + noun		common expression used to describe a very cold day	It was a freezing cold day for the Santa Claus parade.
frost noun		ice crystals on a frozen surface	Some flowers are so strong they can withstand frost.
frostbite noun		a skin condition caused by over exposure to the cold (typically reddish skin with white spots)	I lost my hat while I was skiing, and I ended up with frostbite on my ears.
hail noun		small pieces of ice that fall during a storm	There was so much hail that some of the trailer homes were destroyed.
heat stroke noun		a flu-like condition one can acquire after spending too long in the sun	Bring lots of water and wear a hat to avoid heat stroke in this weather.
heat-wave noun		extremely hot weather that is much higher than average--usually lasts a short time	During the heat-wave we cooled our beds down with ice packs.
humid/humidity adjective/noun		moisture in the air	It feels a lot hotter than it actually is because of the humidity.
hurricane noun		a tropical storm with very strong wind and rain (from Atlantic Ocean); from Pacific Ocean it is called a "typhoon"; from Indian Ocean it is called a "cyclone"	Half of the buildings on the island were flattened by the hurricane.
icy adjective		slippery because of ice	The roads are icy so please avoid driving down any hills.
lightning noun		electric flash caused by two clouds hitting	The outdoor pool always closes when the lifeguards suspect lightning.
mild adjective		temperature that is warmer than average(in a cold season)	It's quite mild out so I didn't bother with a hat or mittens.
meteorologist noun		a person who studies weather patterns	The meteorologist predicted that the cold spell would be over by now.
minus/negative adjective		indicates that a temperature is below zero	It was minus twenty degrees at the top of the skil hill.
overcast adjective		no sun is visible	The sky is overcast this morning, but the sun is supposed to come out by late afternoon.
partly cloudy adverb + adjective		term often used in a weather forecast to indicate that the skies are sunny and cloudy at the same time	Tomorrow's forecast is partly cloudy with clear skies by nightfall.
precipitation noun		rain or snow that falls on an area	There is very little precipitation in the desert.
puddle noun		collection of rain water	Children love to splash in puddles when they are wearing rubber boots.
rain/raining/rainy noun/continuous verb/adjective		water that falls to earth	My hair is all wet and messy from the rain.
raindrop noun		a single measurement of rain	I love catching raindrops on my tongue.
rainbow noun		a band of colours found in the sky after a rainfall	According to legend you can find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.
raining cats and dogs idiom		raining heavily	They cancelled the football game because it was raining cats and dogs.
scorching/a scorcher adjective/noun		extremely hot temperature/a very hot day	It was a scorcher, so the whole family slept in the cool basement.
season noun		time of year characterized by certain weather Winter,Spring,Summer,Fall (or Autumn)	My favorite season is Fall, because I love to watch the leaves changing colours.
shower noun		quick/light rainstorm	They've been calling for showers all week, but so far it's been dry.
sleet(similar to hail) noun		rain that freezes as it falls	All-weather-tires are best if you have to drive in sleet.
slush/slushy noun/adjective		snow on the ground that has been rained on	The snow turned to slush as soon as it started to rain.
smog noun		heavy,dark cloud cover caused by pollution	You really notice the smog downtown in this type of humidity.
snow/snowy/snowing noun/adjective/ continuous verb		frozen water that warms slightly as it falls to earth	It is already snowing up in the mountains, so the ski season should be great this year.
snowstorm noun		large amounts of wind and snow	All of the schools were closed because of the snowstorm.
sun/sunshine/sunny noun/noun/adjective		the gassy star that warms the earth	We hope to have sunshine on the day of the beach picnic.
sunburn noun		painful red/pink skin caused by being in the sun too long	The bald man got a sunburn on his head.
sunglasses/shades noun		dark eyewear that protects you from the sun	I forgot my shades and I was driving right into the sun.
suntan/tanned noun(also verb)/adjective(also verb)		brown/golden skin caused by long periods of sun exposure	I got a suntan on the cruise, but it has already faded away.
sunscreen/suntan lotion noun		cream that protects your skin from sun damage	Don't forget to reapply your sunscreen when you get out of the lake.
temperature noun		how warm or cold the air is	Can you check the temperature before we get dressed for our walk?
thermometer noun		instrument for measuring the temperature of the air	When I checked the temperature this morning, the thermometer said it was already thirty degrees Celsius.
thunder/thunderstorm noun		the crashing of clouds (often followed by a strike of lightning and heavy rain)	Let's close all of the windows. It looks like a thunderstorm is coming.
tornado noun		violently spinning windstorm	The tornado picked up everything in its path, including animals and cars.
umbrella noun		held over one's head and body for rain protection	I always keep an umbrella in my car in case of rain.
UV (ultra violet) rays noun		the damaging rays from the sun	Ultra violet rays can cause skin cancer if you don't wear sunscreen.
wind/windy noun/adjective		blowing air outside	It's too windy to play golf today.
wind chill factor noun		when the wind makes the air feel colder than the actual temperature	It's minus two, but with the wind chill factor it's minus fifteen.