SevereWeather:Tornadoes,Hurricanes,ThunderstormsandBlizzards

WEBSITE:http://www.nationalgeographic.com/forcesofnature/
Onceyougettothissite,clickonTornadoes
TORNADOES
Step1:Whenthenumber1isdark.Readtheinformationabouttornadoesinthegrayboxandanswerthe
followingquestions.Youmayhavetoscrolldowntoseealloftheinformation.
1. Whatisatornado?
Aviolentrotatingcolumnofairthatextendsfromathunderstormtotheground.
2. Whichstatehasthemosttwistersperyear?Howmany?
Texasatanaverageof120peryear.
Step2:Clickonthe#2.Readtheinformationinthegraybox,andanswerthefollowingquestions.
1. Whataresupercells?
Largethunderstormsthathavewindsalreadyinmotion.
2. WheredomosttornadoesinAmericaoccur?
Tornadoalley,Kansas,Texas,Florida,allthewaytoNebraska.

3. Whydomosttornadoesoccurinthelateafternoon?
Thesunhasheatedthegroundandtheatmosphereenoughtoproducethunderstorms.
Clickonthenextbuttontozoomintoseeatornado.
4. Whendotornadoesform?
Whenwarmhumidaircollideswithcold,dryair
5. Whatisanupdraft?
Warmairthatrisesthroughcolderair
6. Whywoulditstarttorotate?
Becauseofthesharplyvaryingways.
7. Beforethestormturnsintoatornado,whattypeofclouddoesitbecome?
Afunnelcloud.
Step3:Clickonthe#3.Readtheinformationinthegraybox,andanswerthefollowingquestions.
1. Whattypeofweatheraccompaniestornadoes?
Thunderstorms,highwinds,andhail.
Clickonseetornadodamageatthebottomofthetext.

2. HowdoestheFujitascalemeasuretornadointensity?
Thescalemeasuresthedamagethatwasdonebythetornadoandmatchesthattoestimatedwindspeedthat
wouldcreatecomparabledamage.
MovearoundtheFujitascaletoseetheeffectstornadoesofdifferentintensitieshave.
Clickonthe#4toseeavideoofatornadopassing.
Clickonthe#5toanswerthefollowingquestion.Youwillhavetoscrolldowntoanswerthequestion.
1. Whatisthedifferencebetweenatornadowatchandatornadowarning?
Awatchiswhentheweatherconditionsarefavorableforatornadotooccur.Awarningiswhenatornadohas
beensightedorseenonaradarscreen.
Clickon#6tomakeatornado.
1.Whatconditionsareperfectformakingatornado?
Warmmoistaircollidingwithcolddryair.
HURRICANES
Now,youaremovingontohurricanes.Clickonthehurricanesymbolabovethenumbers,andbegin.
1. Howmanymphmustwindsbegoinginorderforatropicalstormtobeahurricane?
74milesperhour.
2. Wheredohurricanesform?
OvertheAtlanticoreasternpacific
Wheredocyclonesform?
TheBayofBengalandtheNorthernIndianOcean.
Wheredotyphoonsform?
WesternPacificOcean
Clickon#2,andreadtheinformation.Clickthenextbuttonwhenyouaredone.
1.DoestheeyeofthehurricanehaveHIGHorLOWpressure?
Lowpressure
2. Wherearethemostviolentwindsinthehurricane?
Theeyewall
Clickonthe#3.
1. Inthenorthernhemisphere,hurricanesalwaysturnhow?
Counterclockwise
2. Inthesouthernhemisphere,theyalwaysturnhow?
Clockwise
Playwiththeimageofthehurricanetoseea3Dimage.
Clickonthe#4.

1. Alloftherainfromhurricanescancausewhattooccur?
Floods,flashfloods,landslides.
2.Whatisastormsurge?
Ariseinthesealevel
Clickonthe#5.
Readtheinformation,andwatchthevideo.
Clickonthe#6.
1. Whatisthedifferencebetweenahurricanewatchandahurricanewarning?
Hurricanewatch=thereisathreatofahurricanecoming
Hurricanewarning=ahurricaneislikelytohitin24hours
Clickonthe#7.
Create5hurricanes.
1. Whichonecreatesthemostdamage?Whatfactors?
Category5withwarmwatershighhumidity,fromlocation#2
2.Whichonecreatestheleastdamage?Whatfactors?
Category1fromlocation#1warmwaterhighhumidity

THUNDERSTORMS
Gotohttp://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/tstorms/ingredient.htm
1. Listthe3ingredientsnecessaryforathunderstorm.
Moisture,instabilityintheatmosphere,andaliftingmechanism
2. ClickonLifecycleofaThunderstorm.Takenotesoneachofthethreestages.

ToweringCumulusStageAcumuluscloudbeginstogrowvertically,perhapstoaheightof20,000
feet(6km)

MatureCumulusStageThestormhasconsiderabledepth,oftenreaching40,000to60,000feet(12to
18km).Strongupdraftsanddowndraftscoexist

DissipatingStageThedowndraftcutsofftheupdraft.Thestormnolongerhasasupplyofwarmmoist
airtomaintainitselfandthereforeitdissipates

3. Whataresomeofthepotentialhazardsofthunderstorms?

hail,damagingwinds,andflashfloodingmayoccur.
BLIZZARDS
Gotohttp://www.ussartf.org/blizzards.htm
1. HowdoestheNationalWeatherServicedefineablizzard?
Largeamountsoffallingorblowingsnowforanextendedamountoftime(3hoursormore).Windsaregreater
than35mphandvisibilityislessthanamile.
2. Listsomeofthedangersofblizzards.
Hazardousdrivingconditions,windchillsthatmakeairfeelmuchcolder,frostbite,hypothermia,
3. WhatdowecallablizzardthatmovesuptheeastcoastfromtheMidAtlantictoNewEngland?
ANoreaster
4. ScrolldowntoKeepAheadoftheStorm
Whatdoesitmeanifeachofthefollowingisissued:?
WinterStormWatchSeverewinterstorm(snow/ice)conditionsarepossibleoverthenext2days
WinterStormWarningSeverewinterstormshavebegunorareabouttobegininthearea.
BlizzardWarningblizzardweatherhasstartedorareabouttostartinthearea.

CreateACaneGame
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/outreach/games/canelab.htm
CreateACanePostGameQuestion
1. Whatistheidealwindspeedforahurricane?
2. Whatistheidealtemperatureforahurricane?
3. Whatistheideallatitudeforahurricane?

4. Whatistheidealmoistureforahurricane?
5. Whatisneededtocreateatropicaldepressionintheocean?