Download What I need to know and understand about Weather

What I need to know and understand about Weather and Climate…
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The water cycle is one of earth’s cycles that sustain life.
The water cycle is a vital component in the creation of weather and climate.
The cycling of water is composed of several different phases that include
evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and run-off.
The sun is the primary energy source for powering the water cycle.
Water on earth is evaporated into the air where it condenses and falls back to the
earth in the form of liquid, frozen, or mixed precipitation.
Evaporation is the change of a liquid into a gas or vapor.
Condensation is the change of a gas or vapor into a liquid.
Precipitation occurs when clouds lose water.
Excess precipitation results in the run-off or flow of water over the land.
Climate is predictable patterns of weather over time.
Weather is not random, it occurs in predictable patterns.
Weather depends on the elements of temperature, air pressure, wind, and
moisture.
Various atmospheric factors interact to influence the different and predictable
patterns of weather such as the degree of heating and cooling the earth’s surface.
Temperature indicates the relative warmth or coolness of a substance as
measured by thermometers.
Clouds are formed when air containing water vapor starts to condense into
droplets of moisture. Cloud cover is the amount of sky covered by clouds.
Cloudiness or cloud cover is one of the variables of climate.
There are different types of clouds that may cover all or parts of the sky.
Precipitation is solid or liquid moisture falling from the sky.
Wind is air in motion. Winds are named for the direction from which the wind
blows.
Air pressure is the weight of air particles pressing down on the surface of the
earth. Air pressure may be high or low. A high pressure system is associated with
cooler temperatures and clear skies. A low pressure system is associated with
warmer weather, storms, or precipitation.
Clouds are made of tiny vapors of water. A cloud is the result of invisible water
vapor in the air becoming visible.
Visible water vapor in the sky is clouds; visible water vapor near the earth is fog.
Cloud cover is the amount of clouds that are covering the sky.
There are different types of clouds which signal different kinds of information
about the weather.
o Cirrus: Feathery-like plumes, wispy, high altitude clouds that are generally
white in color
o Stratus: Uniform, grey, low altitude clouds that blanket the whole sky, and
lead to grey days
o Cumulus: Dense, white puffy, cotton-like, thick, detached clouds that are
generally associated with fair weather
o Cumulonimbus: Huge, grey and towering; clouds that usually suggest
stormy weather conditions
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When cool and warm air collides it creates wind.
The collision causes warm air to rise.
When warm air rises it gets cooler.
Cooler air causes the water vapors in the atmosphere to condense or form water
droplets.
When water droplets become heavy enough, they fall as precipitation (remember
the water cycle). Cool air can not hold as much moisture as warm air.
There are many types of wind patterns that affect global weather patterns. The
wind pattern that affects our state are the Prevailing Westerlies named so because
they blow in from the west.
The Prevailing Westerlies move weather from west to east.
There are four different types of air masses that may blow in and affect the local
weather.
o Air masses that are cold and dry.
o Air masses that are hot and dry.
o Air masses that are cold and moist.
o Air masses that are warm and moist.
Scientists use satellites, computers an many other instruments to track and analyze
conditions of the weather.
Weather in your area may be different from weather in another part of the state or
country.
Weather can be observed and information about weather can be collected,
measured and recorded, analyzed and presented.
Weather information is collected and analyzed using many different tools,
techniques, and strategies. (Including maps, charts, computers, satellites, balloons
and storm chasers.)
Predictions about weather are based on historical climate trends and current data
which is updated regularly as more information is received.
Forecasts about weather are made on short range and extended forecasts.
Computers are used to analyze information in preparing for weather forecast
reports.
Geological features influence weather patterns.
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Mountains and large bodies of water such as oceans and huge lakes have the most
affect on weather patterns.
Wind blowing against a mountain causes air to rise, cool, and condense (cool air
can hold less moisture than warm air.)
Wind that flows over the mountain and down the other side causes the air to
become warmer and takes up moisture through evaporation.
Land absorbs heat from the sun faster than bodies of water; therefore as the warm
air of the land rises, it is replaced by the cooler air from the water that we call sea
breezes.
Urbanization also affects weather conditions such as, it is typically hotter and
rainier in large cities than in rural areas; factors contributing to this are: pavement,
huge buildings, transportation systems, factories, etc.