SevereWeather:Tornadoes,Hurricanes,ThunderstormsandBlizzards

WEBSITE:http://www.nationalgeographic.com/forcesofnature/
Onceyougettothissite,clickonTornadoes
TORNADOES
Step1:Whenthenumber1isdark.Readtheinformationabouttornadoesinthegrayboxandanswerthe
followingquestions.Youmayhavetoscrolldowntoseealloftheinformation.
1. Whatisatornado?
Violentrotatingair
2. Whichstatehasthemosttwistersperyear?Howmany?Texaswith120peryear
Step2:Clickonthe#2.Readtheinformationinthegraybox,andanswerthefollowingquestions.
1. Whataresupercells?Largethunderstormsthatalreadyhavewindsinrotation
2. WheredomosttornadoesinAmericaoccur?TornadoAlley

3. Whydomosttornadoesoccurinthelateafternoon?Becausethesunhasalreadyheatedtheearths
surface
Clickonthenextbuttontozoomintoseeatornado.
4. Whendotornadoesform?Humiddryaircollideswithcoldair
5. Whatisanupdraft?Warmairrisingthroughcoldair

6. Whywoulditstarttorotate?Ifthewindsvaryinspeedanddirection

7. Beforethestormturnsintoatornado,whattypeofclouddoesitbecome?Funnelcloud

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

Clickonseetornadodamageatthebottomofthetext.
2. HowdoestheFujitascalemeasuretornadointensity?Windspeeds
MovearoundtheFujitascaletoseetheeffectstornadoesofdifferentintensitieshave.
Clickonthe#4toseeavideoofatornadopassing.
Clickonthe#5toanswerthefollowingquestion.Youwillhavetoscrolldowntoanswerthequestion.
1. Whatisthedifferencebetweenatornadowatchandatornadowarning?Tornadowatchisapossible
tornadoformingwhiletornadowarningisatornadoalreadyformed

Clickon#6tomakeatornado.
1.Whatconditionsareperfectformakingatornado?Variablewindsandcolddryairwithwarmmoist
air
HURRICANES
Now,youaremovingontohurricanes.Clickonthehurricanesymbolabovethenumbers,andbegin.
1. Howmanymphmustwindsbegoinginorderforatropicalstormtobeahurricane?74mph
2. Wheredohurricanesform?AtlanticorPacificocean
Wheredocyclonesform?BayofBengalandNorthernIndianOcean
Wheredotyphoonsform?WesternPacific
Clickon#2,andreadtheinformation.Clickthenextbuttonwhenyouaredone.
1.DoestheeyeofthehurricanehaveHIGHorLOWpressure?LOW
2. Wherearethemostviolentwindsinthehurricane?Intheeyewall
Clickonthe#3.
1. Inthenorthernhemisphere,hurricanesalwaysturnhow?Counterclockwise
2. Inthesouthernhemisphere,theyalwaysturnhow?Clockwise
Playwiththeimageofthehurricanetoseea3Dimage.

Clickonthe#4.
1. Alloftherainfromhurricanescancausewhattooccur?Flooding
2.Whatisastormsurge?Riseinsealevel
Clickonthe#5.
Readtheinformation,andwatchthevideo.
Clickonthe#6.
1. Whatisthedifferencebetweenahurricanewatchandahurricanewarning?Warningmeansa
hurricanehasformedandiscoming
Clickonthe#7.
Create5hurricanes.
1. Whichonecreatesthemostdamage?Whatfactors?1Warmocean,highhumidityandlowpressure
2.Whichonecreatestheleastdamage?Whatfactors?3Coolerwater,lesshumidityandlowpressure

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

ToweringCumulusStage20,000ft

MatureCumulusStage60,000ft

DissipatingStageanviltop,weakwindsandlightrain

3. Whataresomeofthepotentialhazardsofthunderstorms?Flashfloodingandstruckbylighting

BLIZZARDS
Gotohttp://www.ussartf.org/blizzards.htm
1. HowdoestheNationalWeatherServicedefineablizzard?Blowingwindandsnow
2. Listsomeofthedangersofblizzards.Lowvisibilityandhypothermia

3. WhatdowecallablizzardthatmovesuptheeastcoastfromtheMidAtlantictoNewEngland?Nor
easter

4. ScrolldowntoKeepAheadoftheStorm
Whatdoesitmeanifeachofthefollowingisissued:
WinterStormWatchServecoldweather
WinterStormWarningservecoldweatherinyourarea
BlizzardWarningAblizzardishere

CreateACaneGame
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/outreach/games/canelab.htm
CreateACanePostGameQuestion
1. Whatistheidealwindspeedforahurricane?
Lightormedium
2. Whatistheidealtemperatureforahurricane?
26.5C
3. Whatistheideallatitudeforahurricane?
20N
4. Whatistheidealmoistureforahurricane?
Verymoist
5. Whatisneededtocreateatropicaldepressionintheocean?
Alltheseidealthings.