SevereWeather:Tornadoes,Hurricanes,ThunderstormsandBlizzards

WEBSITE:http://www.nationalgeographic.com/forcesofnature/
Onceyougettothissite,clickonTornadoes
TORNADOES
Step1:Whenthenumber1isdark.Readtheinformationabouttornadoesinthegrayboxandanswerthe
followingquestions.Youmayhavetoscrolldowntoseealloftheinformation.
1. Whatisatornado?Amobile,destructivevortexofviolentlyrotatingwindshavingtheappearanceof
afunnelshapedcloudandadvancingbeneathalargestormsystem.
2. Whichstatehasthemosttwistersperyear?Howmany?Texas,146.7
Step2:Clickonthe#2.Readtheinformationinthegraybox,andanswerthefollowingquestions.
1. Whataresupercells?Asystemproducingseverethunderstorms
2. WheredomosttornadoesinAmericaoccur?TornadoValley

3. Whydomosttornadoesoccurinthelateafternoon?Instabilityintheatmosphere
Clickonthenextbuttontozoomintoseeatornado.
4. Whendotornadoesform?Whenwarmmoistair,andcooldryaircollide.
5. Whatisanupdraft?anupwardcurrentordraftofair.

6. Whywoulditstarttorotate?Becauseofamesocyclone

7. Beforethestormturnsintoatornado,whattypeofclouddoesitbecome?Cumulonimbus

Step3:Clickonthe#3.Readtheinformationinthegraybox,andanswerthefollowingquestions.
1. Whattypeofweatheraccompaniestornadoes?Rainhighwindscloudyandhumidair.
Clickonseetornadodamageatthebottomofthetext.

2. HowdoestheFujitascalemeasuretornadointensity?Byanalyzingdamagethatsbeendone.
MovearoundtheFujitascaletoseetheeffectstornadoesofdifferentintensitieshave.
Clickonthe#4toseeavideoofatornadopassing.
Clickonthe#5toanswerthefollowingquestion.Youwillhavetoscrolldowntoanswerthequestion.
1. Whatisthedifferencebetweenatornadowatchandatornadowarning?Watchmeansthatthereisa
chance,warningmeansdefiniteandthatmeanstoeitherhunkerdownorevacuate.

Clickon#6tomakeatornado.
1.Whatconditionsareperfectformakingatornado?Warmhumidairandcolddryairintheafternoon
inaupdraft.
HURRICANES
Now,youaremovingontohurricanes.Clickonthehurricanesymbolabovethenumbers,andbegin.
1. Howmanymphmustwindsbegoinginorderforatropicalstormtobeahurricane?
2. Wheredohurricanesform?DevelopovertheAtlanticeasternPacificOcean.
Wheredocyclonesform?FormovertheBayofBengalandsthenorthernIndianOcean.
Wheredotyphoonsform?Whentheydevelopinthewesternpacific.
Clickon#2,andreadtheinformation.Clickthenextbuttonwhenyouaredone.
1.DoestheeyeofthehurricanehaveHIGHorLOWpressure?Lowpressure.
2. Wherearethemostviolentwindsinthehurricane?Morethan39miles
Clickonthe#3.
1. Inthenorthernhemisphere,hurricanesalwaysturnhow?Counterclockwise
2. Inthesouthernhemisphere,theyalwaysturnhow?Clockwise
Playwiththeimageofthehurricanetoseea3Dimage.
Clickonthe#4.

1. Alloftherainfromhurricanescancausewhattooccur?Newconditionforboater
2.Whatisastormsurge?Mostdangerouspartofahurricane.
Clickonthe#5.
Readtheinformation,andwatchthevideo.
Clickonthe#6.
1. Whatisthedifferencebetweenahurricanewatchandahurricanewarning?Possible,anddefinite
Clickonthe#7.
Create5hurricanes.
1. Whichonecreatesthemostdamage?Whatfactors?Slowmovingfastspinningbighurricanes
2.Whichonecreatestheleastdamage?Whatfactors?Fastmovingslowspinningandsmallhurricanes

THUNDERSTORMS
Gotohttp://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/tstorms/ingredient.htm
1. Listthe3ingredientsnecessaryforathunderstorm.Moistureinstabilityandlifting
2. ClickonLifecycleofaThunderstorm.Takenotesoneachofthethreestages.

ToweringCumulusStageGathersitselftoprepareforthedownpour

MatureCumulusStageWhenthedownpouroccurshappenswithgustfronts

DissipatingStageThunderstormisoverorsoontobe

3. Whataresomeofthepotentialhazardsofthunderstorms?Alltheraincanleadtoflashflooding

BLIZZARDS
Gotohttp://www.ussartf.org/blizzards.htm

1. HowdoestheNationalWeatherServicedefineablizzard?Severcoldstormpackcombinationblowing
momandwindinverylowvisibilities.
2. Listsomeofthedangersofblizzards.Windchills,frostbite,andcoldtemps.

3. WhatdowecallablizzardthatmovesuptheeastcoastfromtheMidAtlantictoNewEngland?The
windandstorm

4. ScrolldowntoKeepAheadoftheStorm
Whatdoesitmeanifeachofthefollowingisissued:
WinterStormWatchPossible
WinterStormWarningDefinite
BlizzardWarningheavysnowwindforatleast3hours

CreateACaneGame
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/outreach/games/canelab.htm
CreateACanePostGameQuestion
1. Whatistheidealwindspeedforahurricane?156Mph
2. Whatistheidealtemperatureforahurricane?79degreewater
3. Whatistheideallatitudeforahurricane?5degreesfromtheequator
4. Whatistheidealmoistureforahurricane?Moistureinmidtroposphere
5. Whatisneededtocreateatropicaldepressionintheocean?Aclusterofthunderstormsovera
tropicalocean.