WeatherWeather

How do you determine How do you determine the weather?the weather?

WeatherWeather

Refers to the state of the Refers to the state of the atmosphere at a specific time and atmosphere at a specific time and place.place.

What does it look like outside What does it look like outside right now? That is the weather.right now? That is the weather.

WeatherWeatherThis is a result of heat and Earth’s air and This is a result of heat and Earth’s air and water.water.The amount of water vapor suspended in The amount of water vapor suspended in the air is thethe air is the humidityhumidity..

Relative humidity Relative humidity is how much water is how much water vapor is in the air vs. how much it can vapor is in the air vs. how much it can hold.hold.The The dew pointdew point is the temperature where is the temperature where the air is saturated and condensation the air is saturated and condensation forms.forms.

Clouds- Classified by shapeClouds- Classified by shapeStratusStratus- - flat, smooth, or flat, smooth, or layeredlayered

CumulusCumulus- - cotton balls or cotton balls or puffypuffy

Cirrus-Cirrus- thin and wispy, or thin and wispy, or featheredfeathered

Clouds- Classified by HeightClouds- Classified by Height

Cirro-Cirro- high clouds high clouds (usually ice crystals)(usually ice crystals)

Alto-Alto- middle cloudsmiddle clouds

Strato-Strato- low level cloudslow level clouds

Clouds by Height

Cirro-

Alto-

Strato-

How do clouds form?How do clouds form?

The sun heats the ground causing the The sun heats the ground causing the heated air to rise. Warm air holds more heated air to rise. Warm air holds more water vapor. As the air rises, it cools water vapor. As the air rises, it cools down. The cooler air can hold less water down. The cooler air can hold less water vapor resulting in condensation and cloud vapor resulting in condensation and cloud formations.formations.

Jet StreamJet Stream

Narrow belts of strong winds.Narrow belts of strong winds.

Jet streams are faster in the winter due to Jet streams are faster in the winter due to the differences between warm air and cold the differences between warm air and cold air are greater.air are greater.

Sea Breeze vs Land BreezeSea Breeze vs Land Breeze

Air MassesAir Masses

Large bodies of air that have the similar Large bodies of air that have the similar properties to the part of Earth’s surface properties to the part of Earth’s surface which it developed.which it developed.

Laymen’s Term***Laymen’s Term***

Air mass that develop over land-DryAir mass that develop over land-Dry

Air mass that develop over water-WetAir mass that develop over water-Wet

Air mass that develop over Tropics-WarmAir mass that develop over Tropics-Warm

Air mass that develop over polar area-ColdAir mass that develop over polar area-Cold

FrontsFrontsBoundary between two air masses of Boundary between two air masses of different temperatures, density, or different temperatures, density, or moisture.moisture.

Cold fronts are more dense and slide Cold fronts are more dense and slide under warm fronts.under warm fronts.

Warm Front

Cold Front