Temperature Differences
What is temperature?
Temperature tells us how hot or cold the air is.
What is wind?
Wind is air moving from one place to another.
What is precipitation?
Precipitation is any water that falls from the sky, like rain or snow.
What measures temperature?
A thermometer measures temperature.
What is a meteorologist?
A meteorologist is a scientist who studies the weather.
Why might it be warmer at the beach than in the mountains?
It might be warmer at the beach because lower elevations are often warmer than higher elevations like mountains.
How can we tell which way the wind is blowing?
We can use a weather vane or look at flags to see which way the wind is blowing.
What is the difference between rain and snow?
Rain is liquid water that falls when it’s warm, and snow is frozen water that falls when it’s cold.
What instrument measures wind speed?
An anemometer measures wind speed.
At what temperatures would you expect to see snow?
Freezing temperatures.
How does the weather change with the seasons?
Weather changes with the seasons; it gets warmer in spring and summer, and cooler in fall and winter.
What is a breeze?
A breeze is a light and gentle wind.
What is hail?
Hail is balls of ice that fall during some thunderstorms when updrafts carry raindrops into extremely cold areas of the atmosphere.
What instrument measures rainfall?
A rain gauge measures how much rain has fallen.
What is the difference between thunder and lightning?
Thunder is the sound made by lightning heating the air and causing it to expand rapidly.
Why does the desert get very hot during the day but cold at night?
The desert gets very hot during the day because there is little vegetation to absorb the heat, and it gets cold at night because there are no clouds to hold in the heat.
What are prevailing winds?
Prevailing winds are winds that blow predominantly from a single general direction over a particular point on Earth's surface.
What does "chance of showers" mean?
"Chance of showers" means there’s a possibility of rain, but it's not certain.
What device can measure wind direction?
A wind vane measures wind direction.
What is a tornado?
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air touching the ground, usually formed from a thunderstorm.
Compare the typical weather in Alaska vs. Florida.
Alaska typically has cold temperatures most of the year, while Florida is warm and humid with mild winters.
What is a wind chill factor?
Wind chill factor is a measure of how cold it feels when the wind is blowing. It’s colder than the actual air temperature.
What are the types of precipitation?
Types of precipitation include rain, snow, sleet, and hail.
Where does weather occur?
In the Atmosphere.
What is the hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth?
134°F , 114°F , 150°F
The hottest temperature ever recorded was 134°F (56.7°C) in Death Valley, California, USA, in 1913.