Download Weather - Hicksville Public Schools

Aim: How does weather affect you?
Do Now: Think about how weather
affects you versus others around the
world.
Article #3 due tomorrow
What is Weather?
• The state of the atmospheric conditions at a
specific time and location
• Something you can talk with anyone about
(but you probably won’t anyway)
• If you don’t like the weather, give it a little
time, it will change.
• Name some characteristics that affect
weather.
Factors Affecting Weather
1. Air Temperature
• The measure of the average
amount of kinetic energy
(energy) of a substance
• If the air has a lot of energy,
lots of movement, it will be
warm.
Factors Affecting Weather
2. Wind
• Natural movement
at any velocity
(speed)
• Usually referring to
a mostly horizontal
motion
Factors Affecting Weather
3. Humidity
• Amount of water vapor present
• Relative Humidity
– the amount (in percent) of water vapor that is
present in the air at a given time compared to the
maximum percentage of water vapor the air is
capable of holding.
Factors Affecting Weather
4. Clouds and Cloud Cover
• Masses of small water droplets or ice crystals
that “float” in air.
Cloud Types
1. Cirrus
– Cirro- means “curled” or “feathery”
• Form highest in the sky; are made up of ice
crystals; and appear as curls, tufts, or wisps.
• Usually signal the end of clear weather.
Cloud Types
2. Cumulus
– Cumulo- means “heaped” or “piled”
• Cottony clouds with flat, usually
gray bases, and puffy, bright tops.
• Usually signal good weather, but
if atmosphere is unstable, can
build into towering clouds that
produce showers and
thunderstorms.
3. Stratus
Cloud Types
– Strato- means “layer-like” or “sheet-like.”
• Low-lying, dull-colored clouds that form in
layers or sheets.
• Usually bring drizzling rain or light-falling
snow.
Cloud Types
4. Alto
– A prefix meaning “middle range of clouds “ and
used to describe clouds that lie from 6,500-18,500
ft. (1,980-5,640m).
5. Nimbus
– A rain cloud
Other Cloud Types
Cirrocumulus
Stratocumulus
Cirrostratus
Cumulonimbus
More Cloud Types
Altostratus
Altocumulus
Nimbostratus
Types of Precipitation
Rain
Sleet
Snow
Hail
Air Masses
• A large body of air that has properties similar
to the part of the Earth’s surface over which it
develops.
• 6 types, but only a few kinds…
• Continental tends to bring dry air
• Maritime tends to bring moist air
• The region (3 types) brings the temperature
Types of Air Masses
•
•
•
•
•
•
Polar Continental
Polar Maritime
Arctic Continental
Arctic Maritime
Tropical Continental
Tropical Maritime
Air Mass Map
Fronts
• A boundary between two air masses
of different density, moisture, or
temperature.
Cold Front
• Cold air is moving toward warm air
• Shown as a blue line with arrow points on it.
Warm Front
• Warm air is moving toward cold air
• Shown on weather maps as a red line with scallops
on it.
• Cold Front overtakes a warm front
• Shown as alternating cold and warm front symbols
facing the same way
• Cold and warm
front are pushing
against each
other but
neither one is
strong enough to
move the other
one
• Shown as
alternating cold
and warm
symbols on
opposite sides.
Weather Station Model
Isobars
• Isobars-connect points of
the “same”
• Examples: temperature
and wind speed
• The further away the
lines the lower the wind
speed