Download Weather Experts Rubric-1

Name _____________
Due Date _________
Class_________
Welcome, Weather Experts!
We at the Weather Central need your help. An air show and fireworks display are planned at Dayton, OH. These events will be
held only if the weather is OK. The air show will be held at 2:p.m. The fireworks will start at 8:p.m. Event officials have asked
us for timely, accurate weather forecasts. They will use your report to decide whether to hold these events.
Several conditions determine the weather: Air pressure, fronts, temperature, dew point, winds, and clouds. As a meteorologist,
you use maps, graphs, and charts to study these conditions. Then you make a prediction. You MUST use scientific terms and
justify your predictions based on the weather maps and data collected.
http://www3.cet.edu/weather/s1.html
STORM-E Simulation Rubric
Category
4
3
2
1
Preparation for
initial prediction
Completes maps and
graphs and always
uses them to support
predictions and
decisions.
Completes maps and
graphs and often
uses them to support
predictions and
decisions.
Completes maps and
graphs but rarely
uses them to support
predictions and
decisions.
Completes maps
and graphs but
never uses them to
support predictions
and decisions.
Weather
prediction
Correctly predicts
weather using
weather maps &
data.
Incorrect prediction.
Uses weather maps
& data.
Guesses at a
weather prediction.
Makes no weather
prediction.
Content
application
Displays strong
evidence that
weather concepts
were applied to
make predictions
and decisions.
Displays some
evidence that
weather concepts
were applied to
make predictions
and decisions.
Displays very little
evidence that
weather concepts
were applied to
make predictions
and decisions.
Displays no
evidence that
weather concepts
were applied to
make predictions
and decisions.
Quality of work
Provides work of the
highest quality.
(Typed or written
legibly on clean,
lined paper.)
Provides work of a
high quality. (Typed
or written legibly on
clean, lined paper.)
Provides work of
medium quality.
(Neatly written in
black or blue ink.
Paper is disheveled.)
Provides little work.
(Illegible writing,
pencil, torn or
crumpled paper.
Presentation
Well developed
thoughts. Complete
sentences, no
spelling or
grammatical errors.
Well developed
thoughts. Contains
less than 5 spelling
or grammatical
errors.
Average thoughts.
Contains less than
10 spelling or
grammatical errors.
Unorganized
thoughts. More than
10 spelling or
grammatical errors.
Conditions for Severe Weather
For thunderstorms to develop, the air must become unstable, and the following conditions must be present:
• Abundant moisture, which means relatively high dew point readings.
• Some "trigger" that will make the air lift, which could be an approaching cold front or upper air trough.
• The right atmospheric conditions for unstable air, which means air pressure is dropping.
Condition
Weak possibility
of severe weather
Moderate possibility
of severe weather
Strong possibility
of severe weather
Air pressure
pressure reading over
threatened area 1010 to 1005
Humidity
surface dew point readings
Temperature
cold front
Wind
Jet stream
>1010 mb
1010 to 1005 mb
< 1005 mb
55º F
56º to 64º F
> 64º F
Is a cold front moving into the area?
If yes, how close is it?
Is a trough approaching the area?
If yes, how close is it?
Fast Facts for the Air Pressure Team
The readings are in millibars (mb). The average sea-level pressure is 1013.25 mb.
Isobars are lines connecting places of equal air pressure.
Air pressure changes help predict local weather. Rising air pressure usually means fair weather. Falling air pressure generally
means stormy weather.
On a weather map "H" shows the relative high pressure ("happy weather") and "L" shows the relative low pressure ("lousy
weather"). These pressure readings are relative. That means there is no certain number that divides high from low.
Low pressure surface winds, viewed from above in the Northern Hemisphere, blow counterclockwise and inward.
High pressure surface winds, viewed from above in the Northern Hemisphere, blow clockwise and outward.
Fast Facts for the Humidity
Relative humidity is the amount of water vapor actually in the air divided by the amount of water vapor for the air to be
saturated. This is assuming the temperature and pressure do not change. Relative humidity is stated as a percentage.
The closer relative humidity gets to 100 percent, the more likely it is that clouds form.
Dew point is the temperature to which air must be cooled to become saturated with water vapor.
The closer air temperature gets to the dew point, the more likely it is that clouds form.
Fronts are narrow zones between two air masses. The air masses have different temperatures, humidity, or both.
Clouds and precipitation often form along a front.
Fast Facts for the Temperature
Generally, weather systems move across the United States from the west to the east.
Fronts are narrow zones between two air masses. The air masses have different temperatures, humidity, or both. Clouds and
precipitation often form along a front.
Cold air is more dense than warm air. A cold front moves like a bulldozer. It pushes up a warm air mass in its path. The cold air
advances, and the warm air retreats.
Warm air is less dense than cold air. That means a warm front slides over top of a cold air mass. The warm air advances, and
the cold air retreats.
Warm air is less dense than cold air. That means cold air pushes warm air up. Next, the warm air rises until it eventually
becomes cold. That makes it dense enough to move downward.
Unstable air has warm air near the ground and cold air above. Unstable air can lead to billowing clouds and storms.
Fast Facts for the Wind
Jet Stream
Jet streams are narrow corridors of very strong winds at altitudes from 30,000 to 50,000 ft. They blow in a wavy pattern
from west to east across North America at speeds exceeding 60 knots.
The jet stream steers surface lows (associated with troughs) and surface highs (associated with ridges) and the fronts
anchored to them.
Troughs of low pressure air bring generally cool, cloudy weather. Ridges of high pressure air bring generally warm, clear
weather. When the jet stream is south of a given location, the weather tends to be relatively cold. When the jet stream is
north of the same location, the weather tends to be relatively warm. Storms are more likely to develop on the leading (east)
edge of a trough.
Surface Winds
The altitude of surface winds fluctuates depending on the terrain, air temperature, and air pressure. Surface winds can be
located from ground level to approximately 3,000 feet. Changes in wind speed or direction may cause problems for small
planes during takeoffs and landings. Authorities use the Beaufort Wind Scale to describe wind speed and strength.