STORMS & PRECIPITATION S6E4
Types of Storms: Thunderstorm Tornado Snowstorm Hurricane
Watch a Brainpop on Thunderstorms! thunderstorms/
Thunderstorm What is it? Small storm with heavy precipitation, frequent thunder & lightning
Thunderstorm How does it form? When warm air is forced upward along a cold front & warm, humid air rises rapidly In Cumulonimbus clouds (dark, anvil- shaped) During Spring/Summer
Go to the Online Textbook… Watch Active Art…Ch 12…weather fronts p/active_art/weather_fronts/index.html
Thunderstorm rolling in over the city
During a thunderstorm, which comes 1 st lightning or thunder? LIGHTNING MCQUEEN IS #1! Thunder always follows LIGHTNING…
Watch a Brainpop on Tornadoes! tornadoes/
Tornado What is it? Rapidly whirling, funnel-shaped cloud, reaching from the storm cloud to the ground Brief, but deadly!
Tornado How does it form? In cumulonimbus clouds with winds at different heights In summer/spring
Tornado Alley as warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico meets cold, dry air from Canada 800 or more tornadoes yearly in this area
Watch a Brainpop on Snowstorms! snowflakes/
Snowstorm What is it? Heavy snowfalls that block roads Trap people in their cars/homes Blowing wind make people lose their way
Blinding snow can disorient people
Snowstorm How does it form? Extreme cold Air colder than 32°F ALL the way to the ground
Watch a Brainpop on Hurricanes! hurricanes/
Hurricane What is it? A tropical cyclone Winds 119 km/hr or higher May be 600 km wide
Hurricane Forms in the Atlantic, Pacific & Indian Oceans Called a Typhoon in the western Pacific Hurricane Season in U.S. from July - Nov Eye (center) is calm
Hurricane How does it form? Begins over warm ocean water as a tropical depression → tropical storm → hurricane Last ≥ 1 week Loses strength as it crosses land –no water = no hurricane
Storms bring precipitation…
5 Types of Precipitation Rain Hail Snow Sleet Freezing Rain Depend on the temps!
Rain Drizzle Mist Large drops Falls when the temps are above freezing (32°F)
Hail Round pellets tossed around in cumulonimbus clouds like a rock tumbler During thunderstorms Forms at any temp
Snow Powdery snow falls through cold, dry air Clumps together as it falls through humid (wet) air Temps below freezing Water vapor in clouds made directly into ice crystals → SNOW!
Sleet Raindrops that fall through air that is below freezing point of water (32°F)
Freezing Rain Happens a lot in GA in the winter! Raindrops fall through cold air, then freeze as they hit frozen surfaces