By Jessica Sorth

Mist and Fog Rain Click on a picture to learn more about: Thunder and Lightning Snow Tornadoes Hurricanes Heat and Cold

Rain Water vapor accumulates in the clouds, forming drops that fall onto the earths surface When precipitation falls from the sky, its liquid state is known as rain. Rain can happen at any time during the year. The temperature determines if it stays liquid or solid.

Thunderstorms are most common on hot summer days. When lightning crosses the sky, the air around it becomes so hot it causes an explosion, thus creating thunder. Earth is struck by lightning almost 100 times per second!

Snow is frozen precipitation that falls from the sky. No two snowflakes are alike. Snowflakes have two shapes, stars and needles. The temperature must be below freezing in order for snowflakes to form.

Hurricanes are storms that form over warm open oceans. Depending on where you live, a hurricane can have a different name: typhoons, cyclones, or willy-willies. Hurricanes can have winds that reach more than 155 mph.

Hot humid air from the Gulf of Mexico along with cool air from Canada produce a violent rotating column of air reaching from a thunderstorm or cloud to the ground. Tornadoes can produce winds that reach up to 300 mph. In an average year 1000 tornadoes are reported nationwide. Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska create the best conditions for tornadoes.

Fog is created by water vapors condensing in the air. It can make it hard to see for several feet up to a half mile. When the water vapors from the fog are more widely spread apart, it creates mist. Visibility in misty conditions can range from a half mile to three miles.

Temperature can vary depending on where you live. It is also measured by different scales: Fahrenheit, Celsius, and Kelvin. Temperature is measured by using a thermometer. The coldest temperature recorded, was in the Vostok region in the middle of the Antarctic on July 21, 1983 at -128˚F. The hottest temperature recorded was in the city of Al Aziziyah in Lybia on September 13, 1922 at 136˚F.

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