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Weather Notes
Lesson 1
1. The atmosphere is made of several layers of air that surround the earth like a blanket.
2. The air in the atmosphere is mostly made of nitrogen and oxygen.
3. The layers of the atmosphere in order from earth to space are: troposphere,
stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere.
4. We live in the troposphere. All weather takes place here.
5. The properties of weather are: temperature, humidity, air pressure, and precipitation.
6. Weather is the condition of the atmosphere at any given time or place. It is always
changing.
7. Air temperature affects the speed and direction of the wind. As temperature changes, air
moves creating wind. Air temperature is measured with a thermometer.
8. Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. Deserts have low humidity and wet
areas have high humidity. Air is more humid near oceans and lakes. Humidity is
measured with a hygrometer (they both begin with H).
9. Air pressure is the force of air pushing on an area. Because particles of cool air are close
together, cool air weighs more than warm air. Cool air has more pressure and sinks
down. Warm air particles are more spread out so the pressure is less. Warm air rises.
Air pressure is measured with a barometer.
10. Precipitation is any form of water that falls from clouds like rain, snow, sleet, and hail.
Rain is measured with a rain gauge and snow is measured with a ruler.
11. A weather or wind vane measures the direction the wind is blowing and an anemometer
measures the speed of the wind.
12. A weather forecast is a prediction of what the weather might be like. It is not always
exact. People who study and forecast weather are called meteorologists.
Lesson 2
1. Air masses are large areas of air that have similar properties. Air masses are described
by their temperature and humidity, or moisture content.
2. The weather in an air mass is the same throughout the entire air mass.
3. There are four types of air masses:
1. polar wet – forms near the poles over water
2. polar dry – forms near the poles over land
3. tropical wet – forms near the equator over water
4. tropical dry – forms near the equator over land
4. When air masses meet, the area where they meet is called a front. A front is the
boundary between two air masses.
5. There are three types of fronts:
1. Warm fronts – warm air pushes into cold air, warm air is lighter and slides over cold
air, layers of clouds form, light and steady rain, air temperature rises (line w/ half
circles)
2. Cold fronts – cold air pushes into warm air, cold air is heavy so it pushes warm air up
quickly, thick clouds form, stormy weather, air temperature drops (line w/ triangles)
3. Stationary fronts – air masses meet but do not move, several days of rainy weather
(line w/ alternating half circles and triangles)
6. Weather moves from West to East across the United States.
7. High pressure areas have nice clear weather and low pressure areas have rainy weather
(happy highs and lousy lows).
8. Meteorologists use weather maps, weather balloons, satellites and Doppler radar to help
make weather forecasts. They also use their eyes to study the cloud types.
9. Thunderstorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes are forms of severe weather.
10. Thunder is formed when lightning heats up the air quickly. You cannot have thunder
without lightning. Stay away from water and trees. Stay inside.
11. Tornadoes are funnel shaped columns of air that touch the ground. Winds can reach
250 miles per hour. Stay in a basement or inner room of your house w/ no windows.
Watch = possibility of tornado forming. Warning = tornado has been sighted.
12. Hurricanes are very wide storms that form over warm oceans (80 degrees). They can be
300 miles across. They carry heavy rain and strong winds. Move inland away from the
coast.
Lesson 3
1. Climate is a seasonal pattern of weather that happens year after year. It is the average
weather over a long period of time.
2. Climate is not the same everywhere. Not all places have four seasons.
3. Climate is very important to farmers.
4. Georgia has a temperate climate (mild). Polar climate regions are very cold. Tropical
climate regions are very warm and wet.
5. Climate regions are determined by latitude, global winds, ocean currents, and distance
from water.
1. Latitude-how far you are from the equator, the equator is 0 latitude, the poles are 90
latitude
2. Global winds-move air between the equator and the poles, warm air rises and cold air
sinks
3. Ocean currents-a directed flow, currents move water that helps control the air
temperature
4. Distance from water-Water heats and cools slowly, climates near lakes and oceans
are cloudier and rainier than inland regions, summer’s are cooler and winter’s are
warmer, living near water helps prevent temperature extremes and increases humidity
6. The mountain effect = the base of a mountain is warmer than the peak because higher
altitudes brings cooler air temperatures. When air masses move up the side of a
mountain, condensation and precipitation take place. By the time the air mass passes to
the other side of the mountain, the air is dry. Only one side of the mountain gets rain.