Glossary of Hydrologic Terms - W
Glossary of Hydrologic Terms - W
These definitions have been compiled from various sources, including the USGS's Water Resources Data, Weather Service Operations Manual, Chapter E-90, and Glossary of Meteorology (AMS, 1959).
- water equivalent of snow
- Amount of water that would be obtained if the snow were completely melted.
- water supply forecasting
- Predicting the total (spring and summer) streamflow from snowmelt and rain which occurs during snowmelt.
- water table
- The level below the earth's surface at which the ground becomes saturated with water. The water table is set where hydrostatic pressure equals atmospheric pressure.
- water year
- A 12-month period from October 1 to September 30 used by the USGS to report water surface data.
- watershed
- see drainage basin
- Weather Forecast Office (WFO)
- A local office of the National Weather Service that is responsible for weather forecasts and warnings over a multicounty area. The river forecasts (from which river warnings and statements are generated) for rivers in the WFO's county warning area are provided by one or more river forecast centers.
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Glossary of Hydrologic Terms - W
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Updated June 1,. 2003