Predicting Weather by Clouds

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Predicting WeatherbyClouds
www.ussartf.org/predicting_weather.htm
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What is Weather

Weather is the wind, temperature, humidity,
atmospheric pressure, cloudiness, and
precipitation.
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Predicting Weather

• The instruments used to measure and predict the
  weather include
• Barometer to measure humidity
• Anemometers to measure wind speed
• weather vanes to measure wind direction
• weather satellites, rockets, radar

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Anemometer

• Meteorologists use anemometers to measure wind
  speed.

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Weather vane

• Wind vanes tell you from which direction the wind
  is blowing.
• Knowing where the wind is coming from might give
  you clues to the temperature and the amount of
  water in the air www.geographyhigh.connectfree.co.
  uk/wd1.gif moving into an area.

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Nimbus - Weather Satellite

• WEATHER SATELLITES are used to photograph and
  track large-scale air movements. Then
  meteorologists compile and analyze the data with
  the help of computers.

• abyss.uoregon.edu/js/images/nimbus1.gif

abyss.uoregon.edu/js/images/nimbus1.gif
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Weather Radar

• Radar is an electronic instrument, which
  determines the direction and distance of objects
  that reflect radio energy back to the radar site.
  It stands for Radio Detection and Ranging.

www.weather.gov.hk/wservice/tsheet/radmet1.jpg
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Forecasting the Weather

• Weather forecasting can be as simple as
  observation.
• You can look up at the clouds.
• Clouds can tell you many things about what the
  weather will do
• High, wispy clouds usually mean good weather.
• Overcast sky means rain or snow is on the way.

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Cloud Classification
Cloud Classification

• Clouds are generally classified based on
  characteristics, such as, altitude, appearance,
  or origin. Altitude distinctions apply to those
  clouds that fit in various layers of the
  atmosphere as follows
• high clouds - have bases above 18,000 feet
• middle clouds - have bases between 7,000 and
  18,000 feet
• low clouds - have bases below 7,000 feet

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http//interactive.usc.edu/members/jchen/cloudchar
t.gif
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Cumulus clouds

• Cumulus clouds are puffy.
• They have flat bottoms and are low in the sky.
• Cumulus clouds usually mean fair weather.
• If they grow tall, they can become thunderheads
  and bring rain. 

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Cirrus clouds

• Cirrus clouds are the highest clouds.
• They usually mean fair weather.
• Cirrus clouds look white and feathery.

http//www.weatherwizkids.com/cloud.htmScience/clo
uds650.JPG
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Stratus clouds

• Stratus clouds are the low clouds.
• Fog is a stratus cloud at ground level.
• They look like a low gray blanket.
• Stratus clouds bring rain or snow.

arm2.static.flickr.com/1030http//www.weatherwizki
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http//www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/booksellers/pr
ess_release/studentscience/gif/watercycle1.gif

• Clouds are an important part of the water cycle.
• The water cycle is the movement of water from
  the Earth into the sky and then back down to
  Earth again.

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Why are clouds white?
Clouds are white because they reflect the light
of the sun. Light is made up of colors of the
rainbow and when you add them all together you
get white.
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Why do clouds turn grays

• If the clouds get thick enough or high enough all
  the light above does not make it through, and
  that makes it look shady and gray.
• If there are lots of other clouds around, their
  shadow can add to the gray or multicolored gray
  appearance

www.watercolorways.com
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Classroom Weather Station
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