Wh- Questions
Where was the fastest wind ever recorded, at 231 mph?
Mount Washington, New Hampshire
"The wind on Mount Washington in New Hampshire EXCEEDS hurricane speeds on over 100 days a year."
What does the word EXCEED mean?
1. to match
2. to surpass
3. to demonstrate
4. to follow
The winds on Mount Washington are faster than hurricane speeds on over 100 days a year
When talking about the meteorologists at Mount Washington, the video says they "make light of" the mountain's reputation, even serving up the world's windiest breakfast.
What does it mean to "make light of" a situation?
To treat a serious problem or situation as humorous or not a big deal.
Beck, the man who stood in the wind tunnel to see what wind speeds a human could tolerate, gave up when winds hit 90 mph. What do you think would have happened if he stayed as the winds got faster?
Place these storms in chronological (time) order
- The blizzard of February 23, 2026
- The Northeastern US blizzard of 1888
- The Iran blizzard of 1972
1. The Northeastern US blizzard of 1888
2. The Iran blizzard of 1972
3. The blizzard of February 23, 2026
What animal experiment did Elias Lewis conduct to determine how fast tornado winds were?
He shot chickens from a cannon.
While Beck is in the wind tunnel, the wind PEAKS at 161 mph.
What does the word PEAK mean?
1. Gets stronger
2. Becomes dangerous
3. Reaches its highest speed
4. Cannot get any stronger
Reaches its highest speed
Bonus: what other meaning does "peak" have and how does it relate to this definition?
"The wind is an invisible enemy."
What type of figurative language is this?
Metaphor. It compares the wind to an enemy WITHOUT using "like" or "as."
Bonus: why do you think they described wind in this way?
For a blizzard to form, water has to go through many steps of the water cycle. What form of water comes after liquid water?
What type of technology did the tornado chasers use to track the tornado once it was no longer visible to the naked eye, because they were too close to it?
Radar
"In our quest to discover what we can do to save ourselves before tornadoes DESCEND from the skies, Naked Science needs to know the early warning signs."
What does DESCEND mean?
1. Come down
2. Appear
3. Twist
4. Storm
Come down or lower
"Twisters are deadly, unpredictable, missile-firing monsters."
What form of figurative language is used in this sentence?
Personification. A twister cannot literally fire missiles - this is a human quality being assigned to a tornado.
There is a tornado alert for a large area in Kansas. The weather forecaster says that everybody should stay inside because signs, tree branches, and other items could be picked up and blown around. He says that being indoors will be safe because the storm should not do damage to houses. What category is this tornado on the F scale?
Probably F0 or F1, because an F2 tornado can blow the roofs off of houses.
What step of the water cycle occurs when water droplets crystallize in freezing temperature?
It becomes snow.
Why does knowing early warning signs benefit people who live in areas impacted by severe weather?
They have time to prepare, make sure they are safe, or evacuate.
Tornadoes can devastate VAST areas of land, causing miles of damage and destruction.
What does VAST mean?
1. Specific
2. Large or immense
3. Flat
4. Mountainous
Large or immense.
"Storm chasing is a game of cat and mouse."
What type of figurative language is this?
An idiom.
Bonus: what does this idiom mean?
You live in New York City. The weather channel is on television and the forecaster is talking about freezing temperatures, heavy snowfall, and intense winds. What kind of storm can you expect?
A Nor'Easter.
The tornado started heading right for them, and they had to quickly leave the area.
What kind of weather is the main difference between a snowstorm and a blizzard?
The wind.
A blizzard is a storm with strong winds and low visibility that is often ACCOMPANIED by intense cold and heavy snow.
What does ACCOMPANY mean?
1. To be present or occur at the same time
2. To come after something else
3. To come before something else
4. To be caused by
To be present or occur at the same time.
The historic 1972 blizzard in Iran brought 26 feet of snow, "as tall as a telephone pole."
What kind of figurative language is this?
Rain, because for it to be snowing, the temperature must be near or below freezing.
What type of storm develops before a tornado?
A supercell thunderstorm