precipitable water

American  

noun

1. the total water vapor contained in a unit vertical column of the atmosphere.

---

Etymology

Origin of precipitable water

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Precipitable water indexes — a measure of how much moisture is present in a column of air from the bottom to the top of the atmosphere — are approaching a remarkable three inches.

From Washington Post

Precipitable water, an indicator of atmospheric moisture, was estimated up to 2.25 and 2.65 inches Wednesday evening between Alexandria and central Prince George’s County.

From Washington Post

That lead to a record October PWAT, or precipitable water index, at Oakland.

From Washington Post

Thursday “showed the highest level of precipitable water in the atmosphere, for winter, since 1948,” said Matt Moreland, meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service office in Rancho Bernardo.

From Los Angeles Times

Precipitable water — a measure of how much moisture is in the air over a certain location — was off the charts in Louisiana that week. Day after day, data from weather balloons showed precipitable water that came close to or exceeded any other weather event on record in the region.

From Washington Post