Weather, Atmosphere, and Seasonal Terms for AI Image Prompts

Weather, Atmosphere, and Seasons#

Describe environment with observable conditions: sky, precipitation, wind, visibility, surface response, and light. For example:

late-autumn coastal squall, low charcoal cumulonimbus, wind-driven rain from left to right,
whitecaps and blowing sea spray, wet black rocks, a narrow break of amber sunset at the horizon

Sky coverage and general conditions#

Cloud types#

Rain and liquid precipitation#

Surface details: puddles, ripples, splash crowns, beaded droplets, runoff rivulets, wet darkened fabric, mirrorlike asphalt reflections, fogged glass, and mud splatter.

Snow, ice, and winter precipitation#

• Flurries: intermittent light snow with little accumulation.
• Light snowfall: sparse distinct flakes and soft fresh dusting.
• Steady snow: continuous flakes at multiple depths.
• Heavy snow: dense flakes reduce visibility and soften distant forms.
• Blizzard: strong sustained wind, blowing snow, and very low visibility.
• Ground blizzard: wind lifts existing snow even without active snowfall.
• Powder snow: dry loose accumulation with soft plumes and crisp sparkle.
• Wet snow: large sticky flakes and heavy clumps on branches.
• Graupel: soft rounded snow pellets with pebbly accumulation.
• Hail: hard ice stones associated with convective storms.
• Hoarfrost: feathery ice crystals deposited on exposed cold surfaces.
• Rime ice: opaque windward ice formed from freezing fog droplets.
• Glaze ice: smooth transparent coating from freezing rain.
• Black ice: thin nearly invisible ice darkened by substrate beneath.
• Icicles: hanging tapered ice from melt-refreeze cycles.
• Snow crust: hardened top layer over softer snow.
• Slush: wet granular snow-water mixture with dirty tire tracks.
• Sastrugi: wind-carved hard snow ridges.
• Cornice: overhanging wind-deposited snow at a ridge.

Fog, mist, haze, and visibility#

Use atmospheric perspective to describe distance: each ridge becomes lighter, cooler, lower-contrast, and less detailed.

Wind terms and visible motion#

For consistency, specify one direction: wind blows from camera-right to camera-left; hair, coat hem, rain, and smoke all follow that direction.

Severe weather#

• Thunderstorm: cumulonimbus, rain shaft, gusts, lightning, and dark base.
• Squall: sudden sharp increase in sustained wind, often with rain or snow.
• Supercell: rotating organized thunderstorm, sculpted updraft, possible wall cloud.
• Tornado: rotating condensation funnel connected to cloud, debris near ground; scale and distance matter.
• Waterspout: tornado-like vortex over water with spray ring.
• Hurricane / tropical cyclone: huge organized storm; ground scenes show wind and flooding, aerial scenes show spiral bands and eye.
• Monsoon rain: seasonal persistent or intense rainfall; avoid treating a regional climate system as only visual shorthand.
• Dust storm: advancing wall or dense field of windborne dust.
• Sandstorm: sand-laden strong wind in arid terrain with orange-brown low visibility.
• Whiteout: snow/cloud eliminates horizon and depth cues.
• Ice storm: freezing precipitation heavily coats surfaces and causes breakage.
• Heat wave: shimmering air, harsh sun, dry surfaces, fatigue cues; heat itself is invisible.
• Drought: cracked soil, reduced water, stressed vegetation, dust, and exposed banks.
• Flood: water occupies normally dry space with current, debris, tide lines, and reflections.

Lightning and electrical sky effects#

Atmospheric optical phenomena#

• Rainbow: colored arc opposite the sun in rain; primary bow is red outermost, violet innermost.
• Double rainbow: secondary bow is fainter with reversed color order and darker Alexander's band between.
• Fogbow: broad pale nearly white bow in fog.
• Glory: colored rings around the antisolar point, often around an aircraft shadow.
• Brocken spectre: magnified observer shadow projected onto cloud with possible glory.
• Sun halo / 22-degree halo: ring around sun caused by ice crystals.
• Moon halo: analogous ring around moon.
• Sundogs / parhelia: bright colored spots to either side of low sun.
• Light pillar: vertical column above/below source reflected by plate ice crystals.
• Corona: small colored rings close around sun or moon from diffraction in droplets.
• Iridescent clouds: pastel color bands in thin cloud near sun.
• Crepuscular rays: apparent divergent sunbeams through cloud gaps.
• Anticrepuscular rays: rays appear to converge opposite the sun.
• Green flash: brief green rim at sunset/sunrise under clear horizon conditions.
• Mirage: refracted displaced/inverted image near hot or layered air.
• Aurora: flowing luminous curtains and rays, commonly green with red/violet; night sky remains visible.
• Zodiacal light: faint triangular glow along ecliptic after dusk or before dawn.

Times of day#

Seasonal cues#

Spring#

• Fresh translucent leaf growth; buds, catkins, blossoms, and saturated young grass.
• Thawing soil, puddles, runoff, variable showers, and lingering highland snow.
• Longer angled daylight, cool shade, pollen, and windblown petals.
• Avoid universal blossom choices; species and timing depend on region.

Summer#

• Dense mature foliage, high sun, short midday shadows, heat haze, insects, dust, or humidity.
• Dry bleached grass in some climates; lush monsoon growth in others.
• Long twilight at high latitudes, strong thunderstorms, bright saturated outdoor color.

Autumn / fall#

• Yellow, ochre, orange, red, russet, and brown foliage with species-specific variation.
• Fallen leaf litter, seed heads, harvest residue, morning fog, dew, and lower sun.
• Bare branches appear progressively; surfaces can be wet, frosted, or windblown.

Winter#

• Low sun, long blue shadows, bare deciduous structure, muted vegetation, frost or snow where climate supports it.
• Warm interior light contrasts with cool exterior ambient light.
• Snow is not universal; maritime winters may be wet, dark, green, and windy.

Climate-specific seasons#

• Wet season: lush growth, swollen rivers, frequent cloud and saturated wet surfaces.
• Dry season: dusty vegetation, exposed soil, lower water, smoke/haze in some regions.
• Monsoon transition: building cloud towers, dramatic humidity, intense rain cycles.
• Polar day: sun remains near horizon and never sets, producing prolonged lateral light.
• Polar night: no sunrise, but twilight, moonlight, snow reflection, and aurora may illuminate scenes.

Ground and surface conditions#

• Dewy: fine droplets on cool surfaces, sparkling in low light.
• Frosted: crystalline white edge coating, often on grass and glass.
• Rain-soaked: darker porous materials, saturated color, puddles and reflections.
• Muddy: wet soil deformation, footprints, splashes, tire ruts.
• Waterlogged: standing water and compressed saturated ground.
• Dusty: pale deposits on upward surfaces and airborne disturbance.
• Sun-baked: dry faded material, cracks, hard shadows.
• Wind-scoured: loose matter stripped away, directional abrasions or drifts.
• Snow-covered: state depth, age, tracks, and whether snow clings to vertical surfaces.
• Icy: glossy or frosted frozen water with appropriate reflections and traction cues.

Prompt patterns#

quiet dawn meadow after a cold clear night, shallow radiation fog pooled below waist height,
heavy dew on spiderwebs and grass, pale peach horizon beneath cool cirrus, almost still air

urban summer cloudburst at blue hour, dense slanted rain, deep puddles reflecting amber buses
and cyan shop lights, runoff along curbs, distant buildings fading behind a gray rain curtain

high alpine winter ridge, wind-scoured hard snow and sculpted sastrugi, fine spindrift blowing
left to right, sharp low sun, deep blue sky, distant peaks softened by ice-crystal haze

Weather must affect the whole scene. Align clouds, light, clothing, vegetation, visibility, ground condition, and reflections with the named conditions.