SevereWeather:Tornadoes,Hurricanes,ThunderstormsandBlizzards

WEBSITE:http://www.nationalgeographic.com/forcesofnature/
Onceyougettothissite,clickonTornadoes
TORNADOES
Step1:Whenthenumber1isdark.Readtheinformationabouttornadoesinthegrayboxandanswerthe
followingquestions.Youmayhavetoscrolldowntoseealloftheinformation.
1. Whatisatornado?
Atornadoisaviolentrotatingcolumnofairthatextendsfromathunderstormtotheground.
2. Whichstatehasthemosttwistersperyear?Howmany?
Texashasthemosttwistersperyear,atanaverageof120peryear.
Step2:Clickonthe#2.Readtheinformationinthegraybox,andanswerthefollowingquestions.
1. Whataresupercells?Largethunderstormsthathavewindsalreadyinmotions
2. WheredomosttornadoesinAmericaoccur?TornadoAlleywhichisfromTexastoNebraskaand
alsoincludesColorado,Iowa,Indiana,Illinois,Kansas,Arkansas,andMissouri

3. Whydomosttornadoesoccurinthelateafternoon?Intheafternoonthesunhasheatedtheground
andtheatmosphereenoughtoproducethunderstorms.

Clickonthenextbuttontozoomintoseeatornado.
4. Whendotornadoesform?Whenwarmhumidaircollideswithcold,dryair
5. Whatisanupdraft?Whenwarmairrisesthroughcolderair

6. Whywoulditstarttorotate?Itwillrotatebecauseofthesharplyvaryingwinds

7. Beforethestormturnsintoatornado,whattypeofclouddoesitbecome?Afunnelcloud

Step3:Clickonthe#3.Readtheinformationinthegraybox,andanswerthefollowingquestions.

1. Whattypeofweatheraccompaniestornadoes?Thunderstorms,highwinds,andhail

Clickonseetornadodamageatthebottomofthetext.
2. HowdoestheFujitascalemeasuretornadointensity?Thescalemeasuresthedamagethatwasdone
bythetornadoandmatchesthattoestimatedwindspeedthatwouldcreatecomparabledamage.
MovearoundtheFujitascaletoseetheeffectstornadoesofdifferentintensitieshave.
Clickonthe#4toseeavideoofatornadopassing.
Clickonthe#5toanswerthefollowingquestion.Youwillhavetoscrolldowntoanswerthequestion.
1. Whatisthedifferencebetweenatornadowatchandatornadowarning?Awatchiswhenthe
weatherconditionsarefavorableforatornadotooccur.Awarningiswhenatornadohasbeen
sightedorseenonaradarscreen.

Clickon#6tomakeatornado.
1.Whatconditionsareperfectformakingatornado?Warm/moistaircollidingwithcold/dryair,
variablewinds,andfallingpressure
HURRICANES
Now,youaremovingontohurricanes.Clickonthehurricanesymbolabovethenumbers,andbegin.
1. Howmanymphmustwindsbegoinginorderforatropicalstormtobeahurricane?74MPH
2. Wheredohurricanesform?OvertheAtlanticorEasternPacificoceans
Wheredocyclonesform?TheBayofBengal
Wheredotyphoonsform?WesternPacificOcean
Clickon#2,andreadtheinformation.Clickthenextbuttonwhenyouaredone.
1.DoestheeyeofthehurricanehaveHIGHorLOWpressure?Lowpressure
2. Wherearethemostviolentwindsinthehurricane?Theeye
Clickonthe#3.

1. Inthenorthernhemisphere,hurricanesalwaysturnhow?Counterclockwise
2. Inthesouthernhemisphere,theyalwaysturnhow?Clockwise
Playwiththeimageofthehurricanetoseea3Dimage.
Clickonthe#4.
1. Alloftherainfromhurricanescancausewhattooccur?Floods,flashfloods,landslides
2.Whatisastormsurge?Riseinthesealevel
Clickonthe#5.
Readtheinformation,andwatchthevideo.
Clickonthe#6.
1. Whatisthedifferencebetweenahurricanewatchandahurricanewarning?Hurricanewatch=there
isathreatofahurricanecoming
Hurricanewarning=ahurricaneislikelytohitin24hours
Clickonthe#7.
Create5hurricanes.
1. Whichonecreatesthemostdamage?Whatfactors?Category5withwarmwatershighhumidity,
fromlocation#2

2.Whichonecreatestheleastdamage?Whatfactors?Category1fromlocation#1warmwaterhigh
humidity

THUNDERSTORMS
Gotohttp://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/tstorms/ingredient.htm
1. Listthe3ingredientsnecessaryforathunderstorm.Moisture,instabilityintheatmosphere,andalifting
mechanism

2. ClickonLifecycleofaThunderstorm.Takenotesoneachofthethreestages.

ToweringCumulusStageAcumuluscloudbeginstogrowvertically,perhapstoaheightof20,000
feet(6km)

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

DissipatingStageThedowndraftcutsofftheupdraft.Thestormnolongerhasasupplyofwarmmoist
airtomaintainitselfandthereforeitdissipates

3. Whataresomeofthepotentialhazardsofthunderstorms?hail,damagingwinds,andflashfloodingmay
occur
BLIZZARDS
Gotohttp://www.ussartf.org/blizzards.htm
1. HowdoestheNationalWeatherServicedefineablizzard?Largeamountsoffallingorblowingsnowfor
anextendedamountoftime(3hoursormore).Windsaregreaterthan35mphandvisibilityislessthana
mile.
2. Listsomeofthedangersofblizzards.Hazardousdrivingconditions,windchillsthatmakeairfeelmuch
colder,frostbite,hypothermia,

3. WhatdowecallablizzardthatmovesuptheeastcoastfromtheMidAtlantictoNewEngland?A
Noreaster

4. ScrolldowntoKeepAheadoftheStorm
Whatdoesitmeanifeachofthefollowingisissued:
WinterStormWatch
WinterStormWarning
BlizzardWarning

CreateACaneGame

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