SevereWeather:Tornadoes,Hurricanes,ThunderstormsandBlizzards

WEBSITE:http://www.nationalgeographic.com/forcesofnature/
Onceyougettothissite,clickonTornadoes
TORNADOES
Step1:Whenthenumber1isdark.Readtheinformationabouttornadoesinthegrayboxandanswerthe
followingquestions.Youmayhavetoscrolldowntoseealloftheinformation.
1. Whatisatornado?
Violentrotatingcolumnofairthatextendsfromathunderstormtotheground
2. Whichstatehasthemosttwistersperyear?Howmany?
Texas:120
Step2:Clickonthe#2.Readtheinformationinthegraybox,andanswerthefollowingquestions.
1. Whataresupercells?
Largethunderstormsthathavewindsalreadyinrotation
2. WheredomosttornadoesinAmericaoccur?
TornadoAlley:StretchesfromTexastoNebraskawithColorado,Iowa,Indiana,Illinois,Kansas,
Missouri,andArkansas
3. Whydomosttornadoesoccurinthelateafternoon?
Atthattime,thegroundhasbeenheatedenoughbythesunformingthunderstorms
Clickonthenextbuttontozoomintoseeatornado.
4. Whendotornadoesform?
Warmhumidaircollideswithcold,dryair
5. Whatisanupdraft?
Warmairrisingthroughcoldair
6. Whywoulditstarttorotate?
Wind
7. Beforethestormturnsintoatornado,whattypeofclouddoesitbecome?
Funnelcloud
Step3:Clickonthe#3.Readtheinformationinthegraybox,andanswerthefollowingquestions.
1. Whattypeofweatheraccompaniestornadoes?
Severethunderstormsandhighwinds,aswellashail
Clickonseetornadodamageatthebottomofthetext.
2. HowdoestheFujitascalemeasuretornadointensity?
Analyzingthedamagedonebythetornadoandthenmatchingthattothewindspeedsestimatedto
producecomparabledamage
MovearoundtheFujitascaletoseetheeffectstornadoesofdifferentintensitieshave.
Clickonthe#4toseeavideoofatornadopassing.
Clickonthe#5toanswerthefollowingquestion.Youwillhavetoscrolldowntoanswerthequestion.

1. Whatisthedifferencebetweenatornadowatchandatornadowarning?
ATornadowatchiswhenitspossibleandonlyseetheformationbutawarningiswhentheyve
actuallysightedit
Clickon#6tomakeatornado.
1.Whatconditionsareperfectformakingatornado?
Cold/DryairmassandWarm/Moistairmass,fallingpressure,andvariablewinds
HURRICANES
Now,youaremovingontohurricanes.Clickonthehurricanesymbolabovethenumbers,andbegin.
1. Howmanymphmustwindsbegoinginorderforatropicalstormtobeahurricane?
74mph
2. Wheredohurricanesform?
AtlanticoreasternPacificOcean
Wheredocyclonesform?
BayofBengal&NorthernIndianOcean
Wheredotyphoonsform?
WesternPacific
Clickon#2,andreadtheinformation.Clickthenextbuttonwhenyouaredone.
1. DoestheeyeofthehurricanehaveHIGHorLOWpressure?
Low
2. Wherearethemostviolentwindsinthehurricane?
Eyewall
Clickonthe#3.
1. Inthenorthernhemisphere,hurricanesalwaysturnhow?
Counterclockwise
2. Inthesouthernhemisphere,theyalwaysturnhow?
Clockwise
Playwiththeimageofthehurricanetoseea3Dimage.
Clickonthe#4.
1. Alloftherainfromhurricanescancausewhattooccur?
Floods,flashfloods,andlandslides
2. Whatisastormsurge?
Themostdangerouspartofthehurricane,theriseinsealevel
Clickonthe#5.
Readtheinformation,andwatchthevideo.
Clickonthe#6.

1. Whatisthedifferencebetweenahurricanewatchandahurricanewarning?
Ahurricanewatchisifitsapossiblethreatwhileahurricanewarningisifitsanactualthreat
Clickonthe#7.
Create5hurricanes.
1. Whichonecreatesthemostdamage?Whatfactors?
2,massiveevacuationandacategory5
2. Whichonecreatestheleastdamage?Whatfactors?
3,moderatedamagetosmallbuildingandacategory2
THUNDERSTORMS
Gotohttp://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/tstorms/ingredient.htm
1. Listthe3ingredientsnecessaryforathunderstorm.
Moisture,instability,andaliftingmechanism
2. ClickonLifecycleofaThunderstorm.Takenotesoneachofthethreestages.

ToweringCumulusStage
Growsverticallyuptoaheightof20,000ft.
MatureCumulusStage
Gooddepthof40,000to60,000ft.
Mostdangerouswhenitcomestolargehail,damagingwinds,andfloods
DissipatingStage
Thedowndraftcutsofftheupdraftcausingittonolongerhavewarmmoistairtomaintainitselfsothen
itjustdissipates
Bringslightrain
3. Whataresomeofthepotentialhazardsofthunderstorms?
Hail,damagingwinds,andfloods
BLIZZARDS
Gotohttp://www.ussartf.org/blizzards.htm
1. HowdoestheNationalWeatherServicedefineablizzard?
Severewinterstormsthatpackacombinationofblowingsnowandwindresultinginverylowvisibility
2. Listsomeofthedangersofblizzards.
Gettingstrandedinyourvehicle,Frostbite,Hypothermia,poweroutages,pipesfreeze,andregularfuel
sourcesmaybecutoff
3. WhatdowecallablizzardthatmovesuptheeastcoastfromtheMidAtlantictoNewEngland?
Noreaster
4. ScrolldowntoKeepAheadoftheStorm
Whatdoesitmeanifeachofthefollowingisissued:
WinterStormWatch
Severewinterconditions,heavysnowandoricearepossibleinthenextdayortwosoprepare
WinterStormWarning
Severewinterconditionsaresoontocomeorhavecometoyouraresostayindoors

BlizzardWarning
Snowandstrongwindswillcombinetoformablindingsnow,deepdrifts,andlifethreateningwind
chills

CreateACaneGame
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/outreach/games/canelab.htm
CreateACanePostGameQuestion
1. Whatistheidealwindspeedforahurricane?
Lowmedium
2. Whatistheidealtemperatureforahurricane?
26.5degreesCelsius
3. Whatistheideallatitudeforahurricane?
530degreesNorth
4. Whatistheidealmoistureforahurricane?
Verymoistinbothlowandmidlevels
5. Whatisneededtocreateatropicaldepressionintheocean?
Tropicaldisturbance