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WEATHER

May 2013

Wacky Weather

Photo credit to Claire Martinez

JORDIN PAGE JORDIN PAGE

WITH HURRICANES [1]

CLAIRE MARTINEZ

KENDAL TORRENCE

WITH BLIZZARDS

WITH THUNDERSTORMS AND CLOUDS

Tableof of Contents Contents Table Page 3- Letter from the editor Page 4- Group Article Page 5Thunderstorms Page 6Thunderstorms cont.

Page 6- Clouds Page 7- Blizzards Page 8- Blizzards cont.

Page 9- Willy willies Page 9- Hurricane supply checklist Page 10- Tropical Trouble Page 11- Hurricane safety Page 11- Works cited

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR “Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get�

-Mark Twain

Dear Reader,

This magazine is a collaborative effort between Kendal, Jordin, and Claire. While writing this article we have learned what weather is, and what things influence weather in both the U.S. and Indiana. Some of these factors are the Sun, the atmosphere, and oceans. In this magazine you will learn information that just might save your life in the event of severe weather. Weather is important because it affects our everyday lives, and influences the decisions we make.

Whether deciding to plan a picnic or choosing what outfit to wear, weather plays a big role in our lives.

-Jordin Page, Claire Martinez, Kendal Torrence [3]

They cause hurricanes, tornados, and thunderstorms!

Weather Lets talk about what weather really is. Weather is a state of the atmosphere to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy.

Weather occurs in the troposphere. There are lots of things that affect weather, but here are a few.

Climate and weather are very different. Climate is the average weather conditions in area.

Climate is what usually happens(Average). Weather what is happening at a given moment. A lot of things affect the climate, like oceans.

Oceans play a major role, it does this by pulling the suns energy along certain paths.The ocean is able to absorb and store heat that it gets from the sun. The water from the ocean can also affect the temperature of atmosphere. The ocean can hold the same amount of heat as the entire atmosphere. Water from the ocean is also the source of most water in the rain cycle.

Here in Lowell, Indiana our seasons change. Our seasons are summer, spring, fall and summer. Seasons changing are because of the angles of the sun’s rays. When the Sun’s rays are aimed directly at us, we experience summer. While it is summer in our area, we have direct sunlight from the sun. This makes it warmer than if it was spring, fall, or winter. When the Earth’s axis is tilted in a way in which we are farther away from the Sun’s direct ways we have winter. When the sun doesn’t have direct contact with us, it is cooler here. The equator gets the most direct sunlight while the North and South Poles get the least direct sunlight.

One thing that affects the weather is air masses.

Air masses are large blocks of air that move around the US and the world. There are cold air masses and warm air masses.

Cold air masses move in from the north, while warm air masses move in from the south. When two air masses meet it it is called a front. Fronts cause weather!

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THUNDERSTORMS

By Kendal Torrence

BANG BANG! EXPERIENCING A THUNDERSTORM The whistling wind hit my face so strong it took my breath away. I ran for the door of the house trying to get out of this twirling windstorm. The hail pelted my back feeling like thousands of pounds. I finally made it to the front door I grabbed the handle and ran into the living room and watched out the window as the world looking as it was melting from the rain dripping down the window.

Thunderstorms are rain storms with heavy winds, they sometimes have thunder, lighting and even hail.

Lightning is an electric current within a cloud with many small bits of ice that bump into each they move around the cloud. All those collisions create an electric charge. The positive charges form at the top while negative charges form at the bottom, that causes a positive charge to build up the grounds electrical charge concentrates on anything then striking it. Lightning bolts can heard from 100 miles away.

Thunderstorms can happen really anywhere, but here more common in warm, humid areas, but are most likely to occur in year-round at all hours but more in summer and spring. The time of thunderstorms varies. There is about 18,000 thunderstorms a day.

Thunderstorms form when warm moist air rises into the sky and causes clouds to build up. As the clouds grow, tiny

particles of water and ice begin to come together, causing an electrical charge to build up, if the charge is great enough lightning and thunder may occur. Lightning is bright flash of electricity produced by thunder, lightning is 54,000 degrees fahrenheit.

Six ties hotter than the sun.

Thunder is caused by lightning when lightning bolt travels from the cloud to the ground it opens a little hole in the air called a channel. When light is gone the air collapses back in and creates a sound wave. Theres even hail in thunderstorms sometimes. Hail is created when small water droplets are caught in an updraft, the droplets are lifted higher and higher into the sky until they freeze. When they become heavy they start to fall.

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Lightning Safety If outside during a thunderstorm go into sturdy building or car, make sure all windows are closed and you stay away from the windows.

If you have no shelter stay away from trees.

Crouch down in open areas. Lay down put your feet together and place your hand over your ears.

If you are with people stay away from them.

pieces of dust particles. When billions of these form droplets come together and form a visible cloud. Clouds are white because they reflect the light off the sun.

Cirrus Cloud- usually white and predict fair to pleasant weather, by There is an watching the official movement of international Mammatus Cloud the cloud you ThunderStorm Clouds-low Committee. can tell from hanging Safety which direction bulges that the weather is Stay out of the water, its a droop, there coming from. Cirrus great conductor of usually associated electricity, don’t stand clouds are pushed by the with severe weather. jet stream, sometimes in puddles and stay away moving faster than from everything with Lenticular Clouds- They 100mph. metal, if indoors stay are caused by a wave away from water and patterned created by Atlo Clouds- gray or bluedon’t use a corded mountains. gray. They form before a phone. Stay away from storm. doors and windows.

Contrails CloudsStratus Cloud-low, puffy condensation trails left and gray. Light mist or Clouds behind by jet aircrafts. drizzle falls from these Clouds are large clouds. collection of very tiny droplets of water, the Cumulus Clouds-white droplets are so small and and puffy show good light that they can float. weather.

All air contains water, Nimbostratus Cloudswhen warm air rises it dark gray, wet looking expands and cools. Cool cloudy layer associated air can’t hold as much water vapor as warm air, with falling rain or snow. so some of the water vapor condenses into tiny

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Blizzards are severe snow storms...

The blistering usually form when air cold scratched my face masses of cold, dry air as the snowflakes moves South and pelted me. The winds interacts with warm swirling around me froze moist air from the Gulf of every hope I had to get Mexico. The point to shelter. I trudged where these two air through the growing masses meet is called a mounds of snow for front. If the cold air what seemed like an advances, it pushes eternity before I got to away the warm air and the door. When I was a blizzard is formed. finally inside, I turned on Blizzards occur in middle the weather channel to northern latitudes, and saw that my town where it is cold enough was being hit by a for snow to form. severe blizzard.

Blizzards are severe snowstorms in “Wherever which winds above you go, no matter 35 miles per hour and visibility of less what the weather, than 1/4 of a mile always bring your own lasts for at least three consecutive sunshine.” hours. Blizzards -Anthony J. D’Angelo

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Safety Tips Keep a first aid kid stocked and ready in case of an emergency Emergency food supply Bottled water Battery- operated radio Flashlight Protective clothing/blankets Keep gas tank full in case you get stranded Carry a cell phone Do NOT drive in a blizzard Stay indoors

When an air mass is going over a body of water, it takes the abundance of moisture and turns it into lake effect precipitation. The most common form of lake effect precipitation is snow, but lake effect rain is possible, too.

Locations that are near large bodies of water tend to get more snow, and rain.

Although blizzards may be fun for children when they get a day off school, there is dark side to these severe storms.

On January 1, 1888, there was a blizzard in Dakota and Montana resulting in the deaths of over 235 people.

This death toll was based mainly on children stuck in the blizzard while on their

way home from school. March 12-14 in 1993 caused the death of some 270 people in the eastern United States. This record snowfall resulted in $4 billion in damage. On February 8-10 of this year there was a major blizzard on the east coast. This blizzard caused New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Maine to go into a state of emergency.

In some places people were getting 5-6 inches of snow per hour. There was 3 feet of snow in parts of Connecticut. Â At one point during the storm, the winds in Connecticut were blowing at a hurricane like speed.

FUN IN THE SNOW

Although blizzards can be dangerous, you can still have fun after the storm has passed!

Blizzards can cause bad road conditions.

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Willy-Willes!

Willy-Willies!

The eye

By Jordin Page

form between 5 to 15 A hurricane is a giant tropical degrees latitude north and south of the storm that can reach up to 600 miles wide! Hurricane winds can equator. The Coriolis reach speeds of up to 200 mph! Force creates spin and then it becomes too Thats speedy! They usually last weak near the equator, for about a week. Hurricanes thats why hurricanes the Northern Hemisphere turn don’t form near the counter-clockwise, while equator. hurricanes in the Southern Hemisphere turn clockwise. The Storm Surges center of the storm is called the Storm surges are by far the eye and it is usually pretty calm there. Hurricanes damage trees, most devastating part of hurricanes. When they spin, the street signs, homes, and cars. water pushes into a big mound Strong waves, winds, and large at the center of the storm. amounts of rain are the When the big mound reaches conditions of hurricanes. land it causes extreme flooding.

Slosh Models are computer How do they form? models that can calculate the Hurricanes forms over warm oceans, with the water generally amount of storm surge in each area. being 80 degrees or warmer.

What is it?

The conditions must be just right for it to form, the air has to cool off quickly and the wind has to be blowing in the same direction and speed so the air forces upward from the water. They

In Australia, hurricanes are called WillyWillies!!!

Who names hurricanes?

In 1950-1952 North Atlantic hurricanes were identified by the alphabet. (Able, Baker, Charlie) In 1953 the US weather bureau switched to women's names.

Now the naming goes by the world Meteorological organization. It uses different names in different areas. Now they incorporate mens names too. There are six different names lists that rotate each year. If the hurricane is catastrophic enough the name is retired and replaced.

Hurricane Supply Checklist Drinking Water Battery-operated Weather Radio Canned Food Portable Alarm Clock Manual Can Opener Extra Batteries

Extra Prescription Medicine Flashlights Eating Utensils Rope First Aid Kit Hammer and Nails Trash Bags

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Duct Tape Cash Extension Cords Pillows and Blankets Tarp Sleeping Bags Mosquito Repellent Water Jugs

Tropical Trouble!

One beautiful, sunny day in Miami Florida, I laid on the beach soaking up the suns rays. I felt a huge gust of wind over my body, and it was oddly colder than what I was expecting! I sat up from my relaxing position and pushed my sunglasses down off my nose so I could see out into the ocean. There were huge dark clouds for as far as I could see and the palm trees around me looked like they were going to snap in half from all this wind! I knew right away that I had to get out of there as fast as I could! I grabbed my beach bag and ran for my apartment!

I flung the door open and ran inside. I took the stairs instead of the elevator so I wouldn’t get trapped. I could hear the sirens “WEE WOO WEE WOO” and I knew I didn’t have much time left! I grabbed all the clothes I could, and all my precious items, and my dog Ike and we got out of there! The news told everyone to move inland. So we did.

We stayed in a small hotel in Gainesville for a couple days until the news station told us it was safe to go back home. I was somewhat scared that I

would go back to Miami and there would be nothing left, but I needed to find out.

So I drove home, a nervous wreck, and we finally reached the highway sign that said “Miami Exit: 2 miles”. I began to look around and all I saw was broken tree limbs, debris, and lots of leftover water that had not been drained yet. I reached my apartment building, and as I pulled into the parking lot, I had to drive around many odd things that normally you wouldn’t find in a parking lot. There were small kayaks, palm trees snapped in half, leaves clinging to the side of buildings, and lots of dead fish. I was terrified to step into my apartment. What if all my things were ruined? What if my things were gone!? Where would I live?

I stepped foot into my apartment to only find a broken window, a palm leaf, and a soggy carpet. But it could all be replaced! Luckily I lived on the 22nd floor so I wasn't affected by the flooding in the first couple floors. You always want to evacuate so you don’t put your life at risk during a hurricane. Here are some ways to keep safe during a tropical storm...

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Ways to keep safe during a hurricane...

•Have an evacuation plan •Board up your windows before leaving •Stay away from possible flooding areas •If your home is not on higher ground, go to a shelter •If you are told to evacuate, do so immediately •Stay indoors until it is safe to come out •Do not put yourself in danger •Do not drive in flooded water

Hurricane season in the Atlantic is June 1st-Nov 30th.

In the Eastern Pacific it is May 15-Nov 30th.

Stay indoors!

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Works Cited

"Blizzard Fun Facts." - Cool, Fun, and Interesting Facts about Blizzards and Snowstorms for Adults and Kids. Facts about Historic Blizzards. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2013.

"Blizzards & Snow Storms, Pictures, Facts, Safety Guides." Blizzards & Snow Storms, Pictures, Facts, Safety Guides. N.p., n.d.

Web. 29 May 2013.

"BLIZZARDS." BLIZZARDS. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2013.

"Make a Tornado in a Jar!" Dangerous Weather. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2013.

"Weather Wiz Kids Weather Information for Kids."

Weather Wiz Kids Weather Information for Kids.

N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2013.

"Weather Wiz Kids Weather Information for Kids."

Weather Wiz Kids Weather Information for Kids.

N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2013.

"Weather Wiz Kids Weather Information for Kids."

Weather Wiz Kids Weather Information for Kids. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2013.

WEATHER MAGAZINE

by Claire, Jordin, and Kendal

Thanks for reading!