Weather...
You can’t see me, but you feel me, you can’t touch
me, but I can touch you. I have been called the
“Breathe of the Gods”, or the killer and giver of life,
gentle and fierce, friendly and enemy, angry and
happy. The Native Americans called me Moriah,
and Snow Eater (Chinook). The Japanese call me
Kaze and in Russia I am called Veter. I can shatter
homes, or wake a child from a peaceful sleep or
bring relief in times of need. I can spread the most
dreaded diseases or bring a welcome freshness.
What am I?
Weather is....
The current state of the
atmosphere...what is happening right
now
Main points to remember as we
learn about weather:
The sun warms the earth’s surface and
therefore all the air above the surface
The earth is warmed most at the equator and
least at the poles---why?
The air above land is warmed more quickly
than air above water.
Warm air expands and rises, creating an area
of low pressure; cold air is dense and sinks,
creating an area of high pressure
Weather Factors
Weather: The state of the atmosphere
at a specific time and place
TEMPERATURE=
the average motion of molecules
↑ TEMP= ↑movement of molecules= feels hot
↓ TEMP= ↓movement of molecules= feels cold
Air Pressure
Warm air= expanding or rising air=
leaves behind L pressure
Cold Air=sinking air= leaves an area of
H pressure
Wind Movement
Uneven heating of the
earth’s surface causes
some areas to be
warmer than others.
As we know, warm
always follows cold to
share it’s warmth-
when this happens in
the atmosphere, wind
happens!
What causes winds?
A wind is a Winds are measured
horizontal by direction and
movement of air
from a area of high speed
pressure to an area The anemometer is
of low pressure the tool we use to
It is this difference measure this
in pressure that
makes the air Wind chill=↑ cooling
move=wind the wind causes
Local Winds
The land cools and heats faster than the ocean.
Water holds heat longer than land, and takes longer
to heat or cool.
During the day, the land
SEA BREEZE
gets hotter faster than the
water. The heated air
rises, leaving behind an
area of low pressure.
Wind from the cooler sea
blows in to take the place
of that warmer air. These
happen during the day!
Land Breezes
At night the lands cools off faster than
the sea. Cool air sinks creating an area
of high pressure. Wind blows from the
land to the sea.
Global Circulation and Wind
Systems
Solar energy is at its
greatest around the
equator---Why?
Intense heat = Powerful
CONVECTION
Warm, moist air rises and leaves behind an
area of low pressure. This is why most rain
forests are found along equatorial regions.
That air rises until it reaches the top of the
troposphere, where it can’t rise any further.
It spreads out towards the polar regions HOT
follows COLD wanting to share its warmth.
As it spreads it begins to cool and sink-usually
30°N and S of the equator- sinking air
produces an area of H pressure with dry
conditions= desert regions on earth
Water in the Atmosphere:
Humidity
Humidity: measure of the amount of water vapor
stuck between molecules in the air. The air’s ability
to hold water depends on the air temp
The hotter the air, the more water the air can hold
Cold air: molecules move slower so droplets of water
can start to stick together=condensation
Relative humidity: the amount of water vapor(%)
compared to the amount the air can hold- tool used
is a psychrometer.
100%=air is saturated
Cloud Formation
Clouds form when water vapor
condenses on dust, salt particles in the
air
The temperature in which condensation
begins is called the dew point
TYPES OF CLOUDS
Cirrus Clouds: wispy, feathery clouds
Form only at high levels,
therefore are made of ice
crystals
Types of Clouds
Cumulus Clouds: are puffy white cotton
ball looking clouds
Cumulonimbus Clouds
These are thunderstorm clouds
Types of Clouds
Stratus Clouds: clouds that form in flat
layers- cover all or most of the sky and
are low level clouds
Air Masses
Air masses are masses of air that have
the same characteristics of the surface
over which it develops
Pressure Systems
descending (going down)=H pressure
ascending (going up)=L pressure
Weather Foldable
Warm front
Cold front
Occluded front
Stationary Front
Fronts: the boundary between 2
air masses
This is
Warm Front: warm air slides over the
departing cold air- large bands of symbol
precipitation form on a
map for
a warm
front
This is the symbol
for a cold front
Cold Fronts
Cold air pushes under a warm air mass.
Warm air rises quickly=narrow bands
of violent storms form
This is the
weather map
Occluded Front symbol for an
occluded front
2 air masses merge and force warm air
between them to rise quickly. Strong
winds and heavy precipitation will occur
This is the
weather map
Stationary Front symbol for a
stationary front
Warm or cold front stops moving. Light
wind and precipitation may occur across
the front boundary
Reading a weather map
ISOBAR= connects areas of equal
pressure BAR comes from BARometric
pressure
Reading a weather map...
Isotherm: Connects areas of equal
temperature; therm means temperature
Weather Station (not on the TV)
