Meteorology Up close and personal

Weather and Climate What is weather? What is climate? Weather is the day to day set of conditions of the atmosphere that we deal with, such as rain, sunny, cloudy, snow, hot or cold, etc. What is climate? Climate is the year to year set of conditions of weather that we expect as customary for wherever we are describing, such as tropical, arctic, etc.

What makes up weather? Wind Precipitation Clouds Temperature Sunshine Humidity Pressure

Precipitation What do we need: Clouds full of water droplets Nuclei to form on…no nuclei, no larger droplets to eventually coalesce into raindrops

Clouds: visible aggregates of water The water in clouds can be liquid or solid (ice). Three basic forms: cirrus, cumulus, and stratus Three basic heights: high, middle, low. Total of ten basic cloud types High: cirrus, cirrostratus, cirrocumulus Middle: altocumulus, altostratus Low: stratus, stratocumulus, nimbostratus Vert. dev.: cumulus, cumulonimbus

Features of clouds High clouds: generally not precipitation makers. May warn of coming events, if followed by lower altitude, more developed clouds. Middle clouds: infrequent, light precipitation possible. May gradually darken, indicating the approach of a front, which may be capable of much rainfall.

Features of clouds, continued Low clouds: Stratus: may produce some light precipitation Nimbostratus: major precipitation producers Clouds of vertical development: Cumulus: not usually an issue until further vertical growth occurs, where this cloud becomes a cumulonimbus.

Cumulonimbus Dense, dark clouds of significant vertical development, these clouds can produce heavy precipitation, lightning activity, hail, and tornadoes. These clouds develop their own updrafts and downdrafts, which can act as a “mini” front as the cloud advances. These can be very dangerous storms.