SevereWeather:Tornadoes,Hurricanes,ThunderstormsandBlizzards

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

3. Whydomosttornadoesoccurinthelateafternoon?
Thesunhasheatedthegroundandatmosphere
Clickonthenextbuttontozoomintoseeatornado.
4. Whendotornadoesform?
Whenhumidwarmaircollideswithcolddryair
5. Whatisanupdraft?
Warmairrisingthroughcoldair
6. Whywoulditstarttorotate?
Windsvarysharplyinspeedordirection
7. Beforethestormturnsintoatornado,whattypeofclouddoesitbecome?

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

2. HowdoestheFujitascalemeasuretornadointensity?
Damagedonematchedtowindspeedsestimatedtoproducecomparabledamage
MovearoundtheFujitascaletoseetheeffectstornadoesofdifferentintensitieshave.
Clickonthe#4toseeavideoofatornadopassing.
Clickonthe#5toanswerthefollowingquestion.Youwillhavetoscrolldowntoanswerthequestion.
1. Whatisthedifferencebetweenatornadowatchandatornadowarning?
Whenconditionsaremettornadowatchisissuedwhensightedorindicatedonradarhasoccurredwarningis
issued
Clickon#6tomakeatornado.
1. Whatconditionsareperfectformakingatornado?Colddryair,warmmoistair,fallingpressure,
variablewinds
HURRICANES
Now,youaremovingontohurricanes.Clickonthehurricanesymbolabovethenumbers,andbegin.
1. Howmanymphmustwindsbegoinginorderforatropicalstormtobeahurricane?
Atleast74milesperhour
2. Wheredohurricanesform?Atlantic,eastPacificOcean
Wheredocyclonesform?NorthernIndianocean
Wheredotyphoonsform?Westernpacific
Clickon#2,andreadtheinformation.Clickthenextbuttonwhenyouaredone.
1.DoestheeyeofthehurricanehaveHIGHorLOWpressure?Lowpressure
2. Wherearethemostviolentwindsinthehurricane?Eyewall
Clickonthe#3.
1. Inthenorthernhemisphere,hurricanesalwaysturnhow?Counterclockwiseduetoearthsrotation
2. Inthesouthernhemisphere,theyalwaysturnhow?Clockwiseduetoearthsrotation
Playwiththeimageofthehurricanetoseea3Dimage.
Clickonthe#4.
1. Alloftherainfromhurricanescancausewhattooccur?

Floodsandlandslides
2.Whatisastormsurge?
Riseinsealevel
Clickonthe#5.
Readtheinformation,andwatchthevideo.
Clickonthe#6.
1. Whatisthedifferencebetweenahurricanewatchandahurricanewarning?
Ifhurricaneposespossiblethreatwatchisissued.Ifitisguaranteedwarningisissued
Clickonthe#7.
Create5hurricanes.
1. Whichonecreatesthemostdamage?Whatfactors?
CatFive.Warmoceanhighhumidity,lowpressure
2. Whichonecreatestheleastdamage?Whatfactors?
Catone.Positionofdevelopment
THUNDERSTORMS
Gotohttp://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/tstorms/ingredient.htm
1. Listthe3ingredientsnecessaryforathunderstorm.
Lift,differentialheating,fronts
2. ClickonLifecycleofaThunderstorm.Takenotesoneachofthethreestages.

ToweringCumulusStagebeginstogrowvertically

MatureCumulusStageconsiderabledepth,strongupdraftsanddowndraftscoexist

DissipatingStagedowndraftcutsofupdraft,stormnolongerhaswarmmoistairtomaintainitself

3. Whataresomeofthepotentialhazardsofthunderstorms?
Tornadoes,floods,hail
BLIZZARDS
Gotohttp://www.ussartf.org/blizzards.htm
1. HowdoestheNationalWeatherServicedefineablizzard?
Severwinterstormsthatpackacombinationofblowingsnowandwindresultinginverylowvisibilities

2. Listsomeofthedangersofblizzards.
Whiteout,hypothermia
3. WhatdowecallablizzardthatmovesuptheeastcoastfromtheMidAtlantictoNewEngland?
Noreaster
4. ScrolldowntoKeepAheadoftheStorm
Whatdoesitmeanifeachofthefollowingisissued:
WinterStormWatchseverewinterconditionsarepossible
WinterStormWarningseverewinterconditionshavebegun
BlizzardWarningsnowandstrongwindscombine

CreateACaneGame
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/outreach/games/canelab.htm
CreateACanePostGameQuestion
1. Whatistheidealwindspeedforahurricane?low
2. Whatistheidealtemperatureforahurricane?26.5C
3. Whatistheideallatitudeforahurricane?5degrees30degrees
4. Whatistheidealmoistureforahurricane?Verymoist
5. Whatisneededtocreateatropicaldepressionintheocean?
Tropicaldisturbance