Download Georgia`s Climate

Georgia’s Climate
GPS: SS8G1d
Fall 2010
Enduring Understandings
Location: Students will
understand that location affects a
society's economy, culture and
development.
Georgia Performance Standards
• SS8G1d: Evaluate the impact
of climate on Georgia’s
development.
Essential Questions
How does Georgia's climate help
the state to thrive, grow and
develop?
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Name: Mrs. K. West
Date: August 16th, 2010
Class Period: 1, 2, 3 or 5
Class: Social Studies
Topic: Georgia’s Climate
E.Q. : How does Georgia's climate help the state to thrive, grow and develop?
Weather vs. Climate
What is the
difference
between
weather and
climate?
• Weather is the condition of
the atmosphere at a
particular moment of time.
• Climate is the overall
weather conditions of an
area over a long period of
time.
Georgia’s Temperature
Overall,
what’s
Georgia’s
temperature
like?
• Mild climate, subtropical feel
along the coast.
• Hot, humid summers and
mild winters.
• Four distinct seasons:
Spring, Summer, Fall, and
Winter.
• Vertical climate (higher
elevation in mountains
causes colder temperatures).
• July is hottest month;
January is coldest.
Georgia’s Precipitation
How much
precipitation does
Georgia get each
year?
• In normal year, Georgia
gets 40-52 inches of rain in
central and southern
regions and 65-76 inches in
the northern mountains.
• July is wettest month;
October is driest.
• From 1998 to 2002, Georgia
experienced a major
drought (extended lack of
precipitation).
Winds and Currents
What winds
and air
masses effect
Georgia’s
climate?
• Air masses from Gulf of
Mexico and the Atlantic
Ocean control summer’s
warm months.
• Air masses from polar
regions of Alaska and
Canada control Georgia’s
winters.
• Ocean currents, trade
winds, and prevailing
westerlies aided travel for
early explorers and
settlers to Georgia.
Storms over Georgia
What kinds
of storms
does
Georgia
experience
each year?
• Georgia averages 21 tornadoes
each year, resulting in one to
three deaths.
• Most tornadoes in Georgia occur
from March to May.
• Georgia also experiences many
severe thunderstorms with
dangerous lightening.
• Georgia’s most hurricane-like
storm (in terms of lives lost)
occurred in Savannah in 1893
• Called the “Sea Islands
Hurricane,” the storm resulted in
1,000 deaths.