Weather Study Guide

Weather Study Guide
Water Cycle:
Driven by the sun, how water cycles between the atmosphere
and earth. The amount of water on the earth doesnt change,
but where water is can change.
Evaporation liquid water becomes water vapor due to suns
energy
Condensation water vapor cools and becomes liquid water.
How clouds form
Precipitation rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
Runoff Water that moves across Earths surface
Percolation Water that seeps into the ground
Surface Water water on the surface of the Earth as lakes,
rivers, streams, the ocean
Ground Water water below Earths surface
Cloud Formation:
As air warms, moves up (mountains, in altitude, etc.) As rises into atmosphere, it cools, causes water vapor in air to be
squeezed out and condense. Condensation forms clouds.
As air cools, moves down (mountains, in altitude, etc.)
Jet stream: Narrow band of high-speed winds, helps move fronts and pressure systems across the US (typically from west
to east) Also separates cold northern air from warm southern air.
Temperature Conversions:
To go from Celsius (oC) to Fahrenheit (oF):
Multiply your temperature in Celsius by 9, then divide by 5; then add 32
To go from Fahrenheit (oF) to Celsius (oC):
Subtract 32 from your temperature in Fahrenheit (F); then multiple by 5, and divide by 9.
US Air Masses:
Continental form over land, dry
Maritime form over water, moist and humid
Polar form over northern areas, cold
Tropical form over southern tropics, warm
Fronts:
Cold Front cold air replaces warm air by moving in under warm air and
pushing warm air up. Moves quickly and causes thunderstorms, heavy rain,
and snow in front of cold front, then cooler and drier air after the front.
Weather symbol blue triangles.
Warm Front warm air replaces cold air by moving up and over
cold air.
Causes drizzly rain that can last for several days before front, then
warmer and more humid air after the front. Weather symbol red
semicircles.
Occluded Front cold front catches up to a warm front. Warm air caught between two cold air
masses, is pushed up. Brings cool temperatures and precipitation. Weather symbol alternating purple semicircles and
triangles.
Stationary Front cold air mass meets a warm air mass, but doesnt move. Brings many days of cloudy, wet weather.
Weather symbol alternating red semicircles and blue triangles.
Pressure Systems:
High Pressure Higher pressure, called anti-cyclone, has clockwise rotation, bring dry, clear weather, warmer
temperatures behind high pressure.
Low Pressure Lower pressure, called cyclone, has counterclockwise rotation, brings rain and stormy weather, cooler
temperatures behind low pressure.
Weather Technology:
Barometer measures air pressure, reading rises when air pressure rises (high pressure), falls when air
pressure falls (low pressure) One of the best indicators of upcoming weather (high pressure = clear
weather, low pressure = rain or stormy weather)
Anemometer measures wind speed. Does NOT measure wind direction!
Satellite - Used to photograph and track large-scale air movements. Helps determine the direction and
distance of objects so can see rain or snow. Gives forecasters the ability to provide early detection of severe
thunderstorms and provides warnings.
Severe Weather:
Lightning: is a discharge of electric energy between rain clouds and earth. Negative charges reach down toward the
ground, positive charges reach up from the ground. When connect, create lightning bolt. Average bolt is an inch wide and
5 miles long. Kills more people than tornadoes or hurricanes.
Thunder: Lightning cuts through air, as air collapses back to fill in space left behind, creates sound of thunder. See
lightning first because light travels faster than sound. Hear thunder an average of 10 miles away, but lightning can travel
farther!
Floods: Depends on how much rain falls and for how long. See flooding more when a lot of rain falls in a short of time.
Tornadoes: Violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground that comes from a thunderstorm. Most often in
spring, summer. Form over land, rotate counter-clockwise in N. Hemisphere. U.S. gets more tornadoes than anywhere else
in world. Wind speeds range from 65 mph to 300 mph. Can cause catastrophic damage.
Hurricanes: powerful, rotating low pressure storm that forms near the Equator. Needs warm, moist, rising ocean air, warm
ocean water, tropical winds. Spins counterclockwise because of the Coriolis Effect. Spiraling rain bands form around a
central eye (low pressure). Causes rain (floods), high sustained winds (75 155+mph), storm surge, and tornadoes. Dies
over land and cold water without the thermal energy from deep, warm ocean currents. Atlantic hurricane season is from
June 1 to Nov. 30.
Compare / Contrast Hurricanes and Tornadoes:
Hurricanes
Tornadoes
Size
Over a hundred miles across
Typically less than a mile across
Location
Forms over warm moist water
Forms over land, from thunderstorm
Rotation
Counterclockwise
Counterclockwise
Pressure
Low Pressure in eye
Low Pressure in center eye
Wind Speeds
75 150+ mph
65 300+ mph
Time of year
Summer and Fall
Spring and Summer
Dangers
Dangers from storm surge, flooding, rain, high

winds
Dangers from extremely high winds, flying

debris, building collapse, fallen trees and power
lines

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Over a hundred miles across

Typically less than a mile across

Forms over warm moist water

Forms over land, from thunderstorm

Low Pressure in eye

Low Pressure in center eye

Summer and Fall

Spring and Summer

Dangers from storm surge, flooding, rain, high

Dangers from extremely high winds, flying

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