ceiling

by Al
(Kimberley)

A few clouds...

Why is the term Ceiling so hard to define. I can on
understand how many people don't know what it means.
Some have no idea where I have seen it in the forecast.
I have asked people that have reported the weather on
TV. My dictionary even avoids it having any connection with the weather. Will you please enlighten us?
Thank You
Dave

Barry's Response - The American Meteorological Society has a glossary of meteorology at http://amsglossary.allenpress.com/glossary, in which they define ceiling, as used in aviation meteorology as:

1. After U.S. weather observing practice, the ceiling classification applied when the reported ceiling value has been determined by a pilot while in flight within one and one-half nautical miles of any runway of the airport.
Aircraft ceilings may refer to vertical visibility or obscuring phenomena aloft as well as to clouds, and are designated A in aviation weather observations. 2. The maximum altitude at which any given aircraft can be operated safely.