weather Weather Weather- the condition of the atmosphere at a location over a short period of time Factors that determine the weather Solar energy- amount and time of year Atmospheric Conditions- air speed and temperature Elevation- the higher the colder and drier Landforms/Water Bodies- Land heats quick and cools quick; Water heats slowly and cools slowly Humidity- amount of water vapor in the air which can lead to precipitation

Types of precipitation Convectional- occurs in warm climates when days heat the moist air forming afternoon clouds and rain

Types of Precipitation Frontal- when 2 air masses of different temperatures collide; the bigger the difference in temp and moisture the stronger the storms frontal

Types of Precipitation Orographic- occurs in mountainous areas a moist air mass moves towards the windward side of the mountains the mountains act as a barrier and causes the air mass to rise to go over the mountains as the air rises it cools drops rain (or snow) on the windward /top of the mountain leaving no moisture on the leeward side of the mountain.

lacemops LACEMOPS LACEMOPS is a pneumonic device that stands for the Factors that Determine Climate Climate- the average of daily weather conditions over a period of time

latitude Latitude Latitude- Average temperatures in general get cooler as you move away from the equator Moderate in the middle (mid latitudes)- temperate zone Warm near the equator (low latitudes)- tropic zone Cold near the poles (high latitudes)- polar zone

Air currents Air currents (WIND) Wind helps to distribute heat. Because the earth rotates the winds curve (the Coriolis Effect) Hot air blows towards the poles. Cold air blows towards the equator. Types of Winds- trade winds, easterlies/westerlies, doldrums, horse latitudes

Continentality The location of a place on land affects climate. The further away from a large body of water the drier the air and the more variation in temperature you have. Coastal areas have higher humidity and air temp is moderated by the water temp. Interiors of continents have drier air and extremes in temperature. Land heats quick and cools quick; Water heats slowly and cools slowly

Elevation ELEVATION Elevation- As you go up in elevation the temperature decreases and the air becomes drier General Rule- For every 1000 ft in elevation the temp decreases 3.5 degrees

Mountain barriers Mountain Barriers Mountain Barriers- The location of a place on or near mountains helps determines the climate of the place. Windward side- wetter Leeward side- drier

Ocean currents Ocean Currents Act similar to air currents. Ocean currents circulate and distribute heat. Warm water flows towards the polar waters. Cold water flows towards the tropical waters. Water temperature near land and the wind blowing above the water moderate the temperature on land.

Precipitation Every place gets some type of precipitation. Convectional, Frontal, or Orographic Every place gets some form of precipitation. Rain, snow, hail, sleet, or freezing rain Every place gets some amount of precipitation. Deserts to tropical rain forests

Storms Storms Hurricanes/Typhoons- a tropical storm that forms in the summer months as a way for nature to release a build up of heat Tornadoes- funnel shaped column of air formed in thunderstorms Blizzards- Heavy snow storm with winds of 35 mph or more