Weather Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD4hSW2mys0
Air Masses
Air masses are large bodies of air that are horizontally uniform in
characteristics, like temperature and moisture content
cP
mP
mP
mT
Co
cT
Continental = dry
Maritime = moist
mT
Polar = cold
Tropical = warm/hot
Arctic = extremely cold
Fronts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5Md8HKDIws&app=desktop
• Front – boundary separating air masses, zone of transition
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsD6zkBMmck&app=desktop
• Cold Front – cold air replaces warm air at the surface,
most violent weather https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdgqkc2YJ1Q
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/af/frnts/cfrnt/prcp.rxml
• Warm Front – warm air replaces cold air at surface, usually
northeast of a cold fronthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWcARUmB0cQ
• Stationary front – doesn’t move, behaves like a warm front
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFAkqHyFtkA
• Occluded front – when cold front “catches” a warm front,
mature storm systems https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gc7puH279s
Pressure Systems
High pressure system (H) – typical for
summertime Texas weather patterns
Low pressure system (L)– storm system, can
travel thousands of miles and are responsible
for the majority of precipitation
Fronts and Pressure Systems
Occluded Front
Cold Front
Stationary Front
Fronts and Pressure
Systems
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiYyCurh_SU
Fronts and Pressure Systems
Global Forces - Winds
Coriolis Effect
The Earth’s Rotation causes surface
currents to move in curved paths rather
than a straight line.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2mec3vgeaI
Trade Winds
Affected by their latitude and the Coriolis
Effect. In the tropics and poles, the winds
blow from east to west. In the temperate
climates, they blow from west to east.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdGtcZSFRLk
Polar Easterlies
90
°
60°
Westerlies
30
°
Tradewinds
0°
Tradewinds
30°
Westerlies
60
Polar Easterlies
90
Global Forces - Water
Deep Ocean Currents
Gyres
- Deep cold currents move water toward equator
Any large system of rotating ocean
- Cold water warms and rises to replace warm water leaving
currents, particularly those involved with
- Warm water travels on surface toward poles
large wind movements
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6i16CrI8ss
- Warm water replaces cold water
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqZjvD_Xs4k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6i16CrI8ss&feature=player_detailpage
Gulf Stream
A powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic Ocean current that originates at
the tip of Florida, follows the east coast and moves toward Great
Britain. It is part of the North Atlantic Gyre.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-zO8L66uyg
Jet Stream
A fast flowing, narrow air
current found in the
atmosphere, usually
separating cold air masses
from warm air masses.
In the summer, it moves higher pushing the cold air north.
In the winter, it comes down lower, bringing cold air with it.
Cold Air
Cold Air
Warm Air
Warm Air
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgMWwx7Cll4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huweohIh_Bw
Rainfall Patterns
Rains
Winter
Precipitation
Summer
Dry
Little
allprecipitation
allyear
rain,
year
rain,
–
summer
all
long
from
winter
year,
all
–20°
from
dry
year
more
to
–-5°
–from
32°
infrom
summer
to8°
32°
and
8°
70°
to-15°
to20°
–
to45°
from
90°
to
and
and
45°
-30°
and
-5°
-30°
to to
-65°
70°
-15°
toto-40°
and
-90°
40° to -65°
Humidity
• Amount of water
vapor in the air
• Tells us the
likelihood of
precipitation, dew,
and fog
• Calculated into the
heat index
temperature
El Nino & La Nina
El Nino
La Nina
Weaken from east
WINDS
Flows toward east
WARM WATER
Move farther west
Mild and wet
U.S. WEATHER
Dry and cool
AUSTRALIA
WEATHER
Dry and warm in South
Wet and cold in North
Mild and wet
Strengthen from east
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9itg7pPC0c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uySu7Zv2cbU
Hurricanes
HURRICANES PROPERTIES
74 mph – 286 mph
WIND SPEED
Anywhere from 100 to
SIZE
500 miles wide
DURATION
2-4 weeks
How does the ocean play a role in the formation?
- A column of hot air from the Sahara that is three miles high spreads and
picks up moisture from warm water (summer) and continues this process
westward forming a tropical storm and then a hurricane.
Hurricane Katrina: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp5AzO8_YPg
Hurricane Sandy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8XY_CrTPdk
Windward and Leeward
Windward
(side is wet)
Leeward
(side is dry)
Land Breeze – Sea Breeze
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM0d3fGew-0