WHAT IS WEATHER?
©Davis School District Farmington, Utah 2012-2013
Why did the woman go outside
Weather tells
with her purse open?
She thought there was going to
us what the outside
be some change in the weather!
air is like. There are
many kinds of weather, such as hot, cold, sunny,
rainy, snowy, and windy. Storms and winds can
change the weather in a hurry.
WEATHER PATTERNS CAN BE OBSERVED
Did you know weather
follows patterns? Every place
on Earth has a weather pattern.
Some deserts have
A weather pattern is what the
a hot, dry weather
weather is usually like in a
certain place. There are many kinds of weather
patterns, or climates, all over the world. In some
locations or places, the weather pattern is hot
and dry, such as a desert. Some climates are cold
and windy, like the Arctic.
Many plants and animals can only live in
one climate. For example, animals living in a hot
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rainforest would not survive in the
cold South Pole. Why do polar
bears and poison dart frogs need
to live in different climates?
What kind of weather do
you like best? Do you look forward
to playing in the snow? Or do you
wait all year for the hot days of
summer?
Polar bears and
poison dart frogs live
in different climates.
Weather patterns in some locations have
both cold and warm weather. The weather
pattern changes with the season. Seasonal
changes bring cooler weather in the winter.
Summer means warmer weather.
Both people and animals use
weather patterns. Families plant
gardens in the spring when there is
plenty of rain. Some people go on
People use
vacation every summer when the
seasonal changes
weather is warmer. Others enjoy
to plan activities.
the snow, so they vacation in the
winter. Some animals such as squirrels store
food in the fall. They know food will be hard to
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find in the winter. Monarch butterflies migrate to
a warmer climate before winter comes.
“April showers bring May
flowers!” People have been
watching or observing
weather patterns for
Low, dark clouds tell us a
thousands of years.
storm is coming.
They would watch the sky to
see what the weather would be like. Was the sky
clear or cloudy? What kinds of clouds were in the
sky? Would the clouds bring rain or snow?
People still observe the weather patterns
today. Read about what some 4th grade students
saw one day when observing the weather:
It was 12:15 PM on August 11, 1999. Fourth
grade students at Rosamond Elementary School
in West Jordan, Utah went outside to observe the
weather for their school's web site. Today's report
would be different. The air was warm and very
windy. Something very strange was about to
happen.
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Looking to the west, the students saw dark
clouds over Herriman, Utah. They took two
pictures of the dark clouds. The students went
back to class. They entered their information into
the computer.
An hour later, the students were
shocked to hear that a thunderstorm
and a tornado had struck downtown
Salt Lake City. The tornado caused
much damage. The students realized
the storm had begun over
Tornados are
Herriman at about 12:00 PM.
called twisters.
Their pictures showed the
beginning of the thunderstorm that
formed the tornado. Source: USOE 4 Grade Weather Teacher Resource Book
th
Dark storm clouds are part of Utah’s
seasonal weather pattern, but rarely do they
signal a tornado! The students at Rosamond
Elementary had a very unusual experience while
observing the weather.
Have you ever seen the shape of an animal
in the clouds? Watching clouds can be fun. But
observing clouds can also help us interpret or
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understand the weather. Three kinds of clouds
are stratus, cirrus, and cumulus clouds. Each
cloud brings its own type of weather.
Stratus Clouds
Cirrus Clouds
Cumulus Clouds
Stratus clouds are layered and stretch
across the sky. They are low, dark gray clouds.
Plan for rain or snow if you see stratus clouds.
Cirrus clouds are thin, wispy, and high in
the sky. You may see cirrus clouds on sunny days.
They signal a change in the weather.
Cumulus clouds are big, puffy, and white.
Cumulus clouds can be seen in fair weather. If
cumulous clouds bunch together and turn dark, a
thunderstorm could be on its way.
When outside, observe the clouds. What
kind do you see? What’s you weather prediction?
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WEATHER PATTERNS CAN BE DESCRIBED
How would you describe today’s weather?
Is it hot or cold, snowy or sunny? Is there any
precipitation (snow, rain, hail, or sleet) falling?
Meteorologists are
scientists who study or analyze
weather and weather patterns.
They are weather watchers.
A meteorologist
studies the weather.
Meteorologists collect data
or information about the weather and record it
on the computer. Then they use words such as
rainy, windy, hot, cool, cold, snowy, sunny, dry,
cloudy, clear, stormy, foggy, sunny, and breezy to
describe the weather.
For example, think of the weather patterns
we see in Utah during the winter. Meteorologists
usually describe winter as cold, snowy, and
windy. Or perhaps winter could be described as
foggy and stormy. A summer day may be hot,
clear, and sunny.
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But seasonal weather can have
variations or differences, too. Has
something like this ever happened to
you? Imagine leaving for a picnic on
a sunny summer day. After playing at
the park, it’s time to eat. Just as you Weather variations
can surprise us!
begin your picnic, you see dark clouds
everywhere. Soon heavy rain begins to fall. All of
a sudden, you wish you had a jacket and your
umbrella! What started out as a clear, sunny day
quickly changed to a stormy, rainy day. Variations
can create surprises in the weather!
WEATHER PATTERNS CAN BE MEASURED
How is a ruler like a scale?
They are both tools used to
measure things. People also use
tools for measuring weather
patterns. A thermometer
This thermometer
is a tool which measures the
shows temperature
temperature of the air. A
in degrees Celsius
and Fahrenheit.
weather vane measures the
direction the wind is blowing.
A rain gauge measures how much rain has fallen.
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Weather watchers can make decisions or
conclusions about the weather by measuring
with these tools.
Let’s take a look at each of these tools.
Thermometers measure temperature by degrees
to show how hot or cold the air is outside. Two
types of thermometers may be used. One kind of
thermometer is a metric thermometer. It
measures the temperature in degrees Celsius.
Another kind of thermometer measures the
temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.
By analyzing the temperature outside,
meteorologists can help people understand the
weather pattern. People will be able to plan for
cold or warm weather.
A weather vane shows which
direction the wind is blowing. It
points North, South, East or West,
depending on the direction from
which the wind is coming. People
put weather vanes
on their homes, barns, or garages.
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A weather vane
shows wind direction.
There is another way to know the wind
direction. Stand facing the wind. If you are facing
east and the wind is blowing in your face, the
wind is an east wind. The direction of the wind
can tell us what kind of storm to expect.
Rain gauges measure how much rain
falls. You can make a rain gauge by
taping a ruler to a wide-mouth jar. Set
the bottle outside before a storm.
When the rain stops, use the ruler to
see how many inches of rain fell.
A rain gauge
measures
rainfall.
There are many ways to learn about
the weather. We can all be weather watchers!
Observing, describing and measuring weather
patterns are interesting and important. Knowing
what weather to expect will help us plan each
day’s activities. Studying seasonal weather
patterns will help us plan for future events. We
will know when to plant a garden, take
a vacation, plan a party,
What did one
or prepare for a storm.
lightning
bolt say to
Then we won’t be
the other!
shocked if there’s some
You’re shocking!
change in the weather!
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GLOSSARY
analyze: to study
cirrus: thin, feathery clouds
climate: the weather pattern
conclusions: decisions made after studying data
cumulus: puffy, white clouds
data: facts or items of information
interpret: to explain or give the meaning
location: an area or place
meteorologists: scientists who study the weather
observe: to watch or inspect
precipitation: hail, rain, sleet, snow
rain gauge: a tool to measure rainfall
seasonal: happening during a certain season of the
year
stratus: low, layered, gray clouds
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temperature: the measurement of hotness and
coldness
thermometer: a tool to measure temperature
variations: changes or differences from what is usual
weather: what the outside air is like
weather pattern: the climate, what weather is usually
like in a certain area or location
weather vane: a tool to measure wind direction
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