SevereWeather:Tornadoes,Hurricanes,ThunderstormsandBlizzards

WEBSITE:http://www.nationalgeographic.com/forcesofnature/
Onceyougettothissite,clickonTornadoes
TORNADOES
Step1:Whenthenumber1isdark.Readtheinformationabouttornadoesinthegrayboxandanswerthe
followingquestions.Youmayhavetoscrolldowntoseealloftheinformation.
1. Whatisatornado?Aviolentlyrotatingcolumnofairthatextendsfromathunderstormtothe
ground.
2. Whichstatehasthemosttwistersperyear?Howmany?Texas,120
Step2:Clickonthe#2.Readtheinformationinthegraybox,andanswerthefollowingquestions.
1. Whataresupercells?Largethunderstormsthatalreadyhavewindsinrotation
2. WheredomosttornadoesinAmericaoccur?TornadoAlley

3. Whydomosttornadoesoccurinthelateafternoon?Thesunhasheatedthegroundandatmosphere
enoughtoproducethunderstorms
Clickonthenextbuttontozoomintoseeatornado.
4. Whendotornadoesform?Theyformwhenwarmhumidaircollideswithcolddryair
5. Whatisanupdraft?Warmairrisesthroughcoldair

6. Whywoulditstarttorotate?Thewindshaveasharpspeedanddirection

7. Beforethestormturnsintoatornado,whattypeofclouddoesitbecome?Funnelcloud

Step3:Clickonthe#3.Readtheinformationinthegraybox,andanswerthefollowingquestions.
1. Whattypeofweatheraccompaniestornadoes?Severethunderstormsandhighswindsand
sometimeshail

Clickonseetornadodamageatthebottomofthetext.
2. HowdoestheFujitascalemeasuretornadointensity?Analyzingthedamagethetornadohasdone
comparedtothewindspeed
MovearoundtheFujitascaletoseetheeffectstornadoesofdifferentintensitieshave.
Clickonthe#4toseeavideoofatornadopassing.
Clickonthe#5toanswerthefollowingquestion.Youwillhavetoscrolldowntoanswerthequestion.
1. Whatisthedifferencebetweenatornadowatchandatornadowarning?Watchconditonsare
conductiveWarningTornadosighted

Clickon#6tomakeatornado.
1.Whatconditionsareperfectformakingatornado?Cold/DryandWarm/MoistAirMassesFalling
PressureandVariablewinds
HURRICANES
Now,youaremovingontohurricanes.Clickonthehurricanesymbolabovethenumbers,andbegin.
1. Howmanymphmustwindsbegoinginorderforatropicalstormtobeahurricane?74mph
2. Wheredohurricanesform?OverAtlanticorEasternPacificOceans
Wheredocyclonesform?BayofBengalorNorthernIndianOcean
Wheredotyphoonsform?WesternPacific
Clickon#2,andreadtheinformation.Clickthenextbuttonwhenyouaredone.
1.DoestheeyeofthehurricanehaveHIGHorLOWpressure?LowPressure
2. Wherearethemostviolentwindsinthehurricane?EyeWall
Clickonthe#3.
1. Inthenorthernhemisphere,hurricanesalwaysturnhow?Counterclockwise
2. Inthesouthernhemisphere,theyalwaysturnhow?Clockwise

Playwiththeimageofthehurricanetoseea3Dimage.
Clickonthe#4.
1. Alloftherainfromhurricanescancausewhattooccur?Floodsflashfloodsorlandslides
2.Whatisastormsurge?Mostdangerouspartofthehurricane
Clickonthe#5.
Readtheinformation,andwatchthevideo.
Clickonthe#6.
1. Whatisthedifferencebetweenahurricanewatchandahurricanewarning?
WatchhurricanepossessthreatWarninghurricanelikelytohitwithin24hours
Clickonthe#7.
Create5hurricanes.
1. Whichonecreatesthemostdamage?Whatfactors?LowAtlantic.WarmTemp,HighHumid,Low
Pressure(Cat5)
2.Whichonecreatestheleastdamage?Whatfactors?OnLandWarmTemp,HighHumid,Low
Pressure

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

ToweringCumulusStagecumuluscloudgrowsverticallyairdominatedbyupdraft

MatureCumulusStagestormhasconsiderabledepthstrongupdraft/downdraftscoexistmostdangerous
stage

DissipatingStagedowndraftcutsoffupdraftstormnolongerhaswarmairsupplyanddissipateslight
rainandwindoutflow

3. Whataresomeofthepotentialhazardsofthunderstorms?Tornadoes,Hurricanes,Hail

BLIZZARDS
Gotohttp://www.ussartf.org/blizzards.htm
1. HowdoestheNationalWeatherServicedefineablizzard?Severewinterstormsthatpackacomboof
blowingsnowandwindresultinginlowvisibilities
2. Listsomeofthedangersofblizzards.Whiteoutconditions,driftingsnow,lowwindchill,power
outages,pipesfreeze

3. WhatdowecallablizzardthatmovesuptheeastcoastfromtheMidAtlantictoNewEngland?
Noreaster

4. ScrolldowntoKeepAheadoftheStorm
Whatdoesitmeanifeachofthefollowingisissued:
WinterStormWatchseverewinterconditionsheavysnoworicepossibleinnextdayortwo
WinterStormWarningseverewinterconditionshavebegun
BlizzardWarningsnowandwindswillcombinetocauseblindingsnow

CreateACaneGame
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/outreach/games/canelab.htm
CreateACanePostGameQuestion
1. Whatistheidealwindspeedforahurricane?Medium
2. Whatistheidealtemperatureforahurricane?Above26c

3. Whatistheideallatitudeforahurricane?20N
4. Whatistheidealmoistureforahurricane?Verymoist
5. Whatisneededtocreateatropicaldepressionintheocean?WarmTempsandMoisture