Severe Weather: Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Thunderstorms and Blizzards

WEBSITE: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/forcesofnature/
Once you get to this site, click on Tornadoes
TORNADOES
Step 1: When the number 1 is dark. Read the information about tornadoes in the gray box and answer the following
questions. You may have to scroll down to see all of the information.
1. What is a tornado?
A turning column of air
2. Which state has the most twisters per year? How many? Texas 120
Step 2: Click on the #2. Read the information in the gray box, and answer the following questions.
1. What are supercells? Large thunder storms with winds
2. Where do most tornadoes in America occur? Tornado allay
3. Why do most tornadoes occur in the late afternoon? Sun heated the ground
Click on the next button to zoom in to see a tornado.
4. When do tornadoes form? When warm humid air come in to each other
5. What is an updraft? Made if winds vary is speed or direction

6. Why would it start to rotate? Mesocyclone

7. Beforethestormturnsintoatornado,whattypeofclouddoesitbecome?
Funnelcloud
Step3:Clickonthe#3.Readtheinformationinthegraybox,andanswerthefollowingquestions.
1. Whattypeofweatheraccompaniestornadoes?
Highwinds
Clickonseetornadodamageatthebottomofthetext.
2. HowdoestheFujitascalemeasuretornadointensity?Windspeed

MovearoundtheFujitascaletoseetheeffectstornadoesofdifferentintensitieshave.
Clickonthe#4toseeavideoofatornadopassing.
Clickonthe#5toanswerthefollowingquestion.Youwillhavetoscrolldowntoanswerthequestion.
1. Whatisthedifferencebetweenatornadowatchandatornadowarning?
Watchiswhentheyseeasupercell
Clickon#6tomakeatornado.
1.Whatconditionsareperfectformakingatornado?
Front1colddry1front2warmmoist
HURRICANES
Now,youaremovingontohurricanes.Clickonthehurricanesymbolabovethenumbers,andbegin.
93

1. Howmanymphmustwindsbegoinginorderforatropicalstormtobeahurricane?
2. Wheredohurricanesform?alantic
Wheredocyclonesform?Pacific
Wheredotyphoonsform?Westernpacific

Clickon#2,andreadtheinformation.Clickthenextbuttonwhenyouaredone.
1.DoestheeyeofthehurricanehaveHIGHorLOWpressure?low
2. Wherearethemostviolentwindsinthehurricane?middle
Clickonthe#3.
1. Inthenorthernhemisphere,hurricanesalwaysturnhow?West
2. Inthesouthernhemisphere,theyalwaysturnhow?south
Playwiththeimageofthehurricanetoseea3Dimage.
Clickonthe#4.
1. Alloftherainfromhurricanescancausewhattooccur?
Flooding

2.Whatisastormsurge?Riseofsealevel
Clickonthe#5.
Readtheinformation,andwatchthevideo.
Clickonthe#6.
1. Whatisthedifferencebetweenahurricanewatchandahurricanewarning?Thereisahurricaneif
waaening
Clickonthe#7.
Create5hurricanes.
1. Whichonecreatesthemostdamage?Whatfactors?
3
2.Whichonecreatestheleastdamage?Whatfactors?

14

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

ToweringCumulusStageairstartstorisevertically

MatureCumulusStage

DissipatingStage

3. Whataresomeofthepotentialhazardsofthunderstorms?

BLIZZARDS
Gotohttp://www.ussartf.org/blizzards.htm
1. HowdoestheNationalWeatherServicedefineablizzard?

2. Listsomeofthedangersofblizzards.

3. WhatdowecallablizzardthatmovesuptheeastcoastfromtheMidAtlantictoNewEngland?

4. ScrolldowntoKeepAheadtheStorm
Whatdoesitmeanifeachofthefollowingisissued:
WinterStormWatch
WinterStormWarning
BlizzardWarning

CreateACaneGame
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/outreach/games/canelab.htm
CreateACanePostGameQuestion
1. Whatistheidealwindspeedforahurricane?
2. Whatistheidealtemperatureforahurricane?
3. Whatistheideallatitudeforahurricane?
25c
4. Whatistheidealmoistureforahurricane?
Verywet
5. Whatisneededtocreateatropicaldepressionintheocean?