An Epic List of Weather Descriptions, Part 2

Behind every cloud is another cloud. - Judy Garland

Pick your emotional forecast and layer it in your manuscript with descriptions of the weather. Hi, I'm back with the second part of an epic list of weather descriptions. Refer to Part One, for descriptions of Rain & Storms, Wind, Lightning, Floods and Overcast skies. Here, I've included descriptions of Fog & Mist, Snow & Ice, Heat & Humidity, and Pleasant weather. I hope you find it helpful in weaving those finer details.

Fog & Mist:
Soupy
Hazy
Veil
Smog
Gray
Moist
Thick
Obscure
Gloomy
Milky
Pale
Phantom
Chalky
Murky
Shroud
Cloaked
Ashen
Drab
Dense
Mucky
Muddy
Dismal
Abysmal
Blurred
Nebulous
Somber
Dewy
Enveloped
Socked in
Obscure
Sullen
Filmy
Vaporous
Phantasmagoric
Ghostly

Snow & Ice:
Bleak
Frosty
Sludgy
Wintry
Artic
Freeze
Subzero
Glacial
Iceberg
Bitter
Powder
Flurry
Crystal
Flake
Blizzard
Drift
Chill
Slush
Blanket
Brisk
Crisp
Biting
Nippy
Shiver
Frigid
Frozen
Snow capped
Silver
Ivory
Pearl

Heat:
Arid
Parched
Thermal
Flash Point
Torrid
Swelter
Suffocating
Boil
Fire
Pyre
Crematory
Burst
Dog days
Heatwave
Sizzler
Broiler
Firestorm
Inferno
Hell
Hot as Haiti, Hell
Equator
Smolder
Solar
Electric
Feverish
Sahara
Sandblasted
Torch
Dehydrated
Salt licked
Raging
Roasting
Blistering
Scalding
Baked
Scorched
Molten
Searing
Stifling
Piping
Blazing

Humidity:
Heavy air
Moist
Sweat
Sticky
Muggy
Tropical
Geyser
Steam bath
Steamy
Marshy
Sauna
Soaked
Soggy
Dank

Pleasant Weather:
Sunshine
Light clouds
Blue Skies
Temperate
Sunny
Mild
Genial
Summery
Pleasant
Sparkle
Warm
Fair
Fresh
Cotton (clouds)
Wispy (clouds)
Fluffy (clouds)
Flecking the sky
Peaceful
Timid
Wistful
Bright
Shining
Calm
Blissful
Effervescent
Gentle
Breezy
Mellow
Tepid
Moderate
Fine
Clear
Light
Luminous
Beaming
Cheery
Carefree
Radiant
Lulling
Soothing
Still
Pacified
Quiet
Tranquil

Do you ever juxtapose your character's emotions with the weather or is the weather a reflection of your character's emotions? Let me know how you use weather in your stories.

♥ Shadow

An Epic List of Weather Descriptions, Part 1

Remember to get the weather in your book - weather is very important. - Ernest Hemingway

As promised, here is a list of weather descriptions. However, when I got started, I couldn't stop. So, I decided to break it up into two parts. Part one includes descriptions of Rain & Storms, Wind, Lightning, Floods and Overcast skies. Part two includes Fog & Mist, Snow & Ice, Heat & Humidity, and Pleasant weather.

Rain & Storm:
Drizzle
Stream
Patter
Spatter
Sheet of rain
Splash
Torrential
Downpour
Drench
Gushing
Soak
Spurt
Pitter-patter
Pelt
Spritz
Raining cats and dogs
Stream
Pour
Drip
Torrents
Raining buckets
Sprinkle
Shower
Thunderhead

Lightning:
Flash
Bolt
Strike
Thunderbolt
Firebolt
Arc
Ball of fire
Electric
St. Elmo’s fire

Wind:
Draft
Stream
Jet stream
Inflow
Crosscurrent
Gale
Gust
Blast
Blow
Gale
Waft
Breeze
Chinook
Bone-chilling
Raw
Biting
Nippy
Easterly
Westerly
Trade wind
Doldrums
Roaring
Tempest
Violent
Squall
Wind shear
Whirlwind
Bluster
Turbulent
Windswept
Wail
Howl
Scream
Whisper
Blustery
Cyclone

Flood:
Flow
Surge
Course
Flush
Flash
Gush
Overrun
Spill
Roll
Swell

Overcast:
Darken
Gray
Overshadow
Dim
Eclipse
Somber
Gloomy
Obscure
Blackening sky
Extinguishing the light
Shade
Shrouded
Murky
Dusky
Cloaked
Leaden sky
Lackluster
Bleak
Dull
Dead
Drab
Wan
Inky

Sullen

Grim

Rayless

Shady

Shadowy

To be continued....

Do you have other lists that you like using? What other weather descriptions would you add?

♥ Shadow

The Symbolic Language of Weather

“When all is said and done, the weather and love are the two elements about which one can never be sure.”

― Alice Hoffman, Here on Earth

I love symbology and use it where ever possible. The atmospheric world of Gothic fiction is rife with secret symbolic language, and the weather is one of those ingredients that could be added to the mix.

How many times have we seen it rain during a funeral in the movies? Rain has long been equated to tears and sorrow, so it is used as an emotional trigger. Weather is all about the emotions.

Weather descriptions can have an internal or an external effect. Meaning, they could be used to affect your characters' emotions and actions or used to describe your characters' emotional state. Another use is to foreshadow a situation. A sudden change in the weather might signify that something bad is about to happen. The fog rolling in might mean there is a secret to be revealed.

I also like to juxtapose weather with the actions of a scene. For example, having something tragic befall my character while it is sunny and bright. This is jarring because it is unexpected. Creating an emotional response in your reader is what most storytelling is about.

Here, I've listed some emotional and symbolic associations to weather conditions.

Rain - Renewal, Rebirth, Cleansing, Sorrow, Tears
Storms –  Anger, Turmoil, Struggle
Flood – Uncontrollable, overwhelmed, in over your head, the release of pent-up energy,  as in a broken dam.
Lightning – sudden revelation, transformation
Overcast – depression, confusion, pent up emotion
Light Clouds – peace, serenity
Fog – Confusion, uncertainty, mystery, secrets
Mist – Confusion, uncertainty
Snow – purity, isolation, untapped potential, clean slate, neglect
Ice – stuck, at risk
Heat –  danger, passion
Humidity – anxiety, repression
Sunshine – fortunate and grateful, tranquility, peace
Wind - change, restless, strength
Extreme Weather -
     Tornado - destructive, out of control
     Hurricane – obsessive emotions
     Tsunami -  overwhelmed

Do you use weather symbolically in your writing? Are there any other weather conditions you'd add to this list?

♥ Shadow.

Setting the Gothic Mood: Weather

"It was a dark and stormy night" - Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Paul Clifford

There's a reason the phrase, it was a dark and stormy night, is synonymous with dark tales. The mystery and foreboding are aided by a description of the weather. That mixed with the darkness and you get the feeling something eerie is about to happen.

Let's talk about the weather. It's spring and it's raining a lot where I live. So this month, I thought I'd explore the use of weather when setting a Gothic mood.

The Gothic genre is extremely atmospheric and weather almost takes a life of its own in these stories. It can convey what the characters are feeling, it can be used to sway the plot and it can also prepare the reader for what's around the bend. This is true of all genres, but I find it vital for Gothic tales.

When it comes to your characters and the weather, it can affect them and their mood, as part of the setting. But you can also use weather to describe your characters' internal landscape. Weather is all about the emotions, which I discuss further in another post about the symbolic language of weather.

Weather can be used to isolate the characters, which is an important aspect of this genre. It can direct your plot, as your characters become snowed in, a deluge washes away the only bridge or lightning strikes a transformer effectively cutting off the phone lines. I'd say, your plot just took a turn.

You can also use the weather as a way to foreshadow events in your story, as well as set up an emotional moment or turning point, like the calm before the storm or using severe or unexpected changes in the weather.

Here is a list of some weather conditions to consider for your Gothic and Dark stories.

• Rain
• Storms
• Lightning
• Fog
• Mist
• Snow
• Ice
• Extreme heat – as in a desert
• Humidity - southern or tropical.
• Extreme weather – hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis

I recommend reading or re-reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Bronte uses weather brilliantly in that novel, and in all of the ways I've described above. While reading it take note of the weather and what it is really describing.

Now, I've used a lot of cliques in this post to help make my point. They are all scenarios and descriptions we've seen and can quickly pick out from previous works. The world of weather is much richer than this, so play around with descriptions and add in your own voice.

Want to learn more about writing the weather?  Try this post by Novel Writing Help. I'll also be creating lists of weather descriptions this month, so keep an eye out.

How have you been using the weather in your stories? Do you have any other examples of where the weather was key to the tale?

♥ Shadow.

Reading Recommendation: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.