We’ve all experienced thunderstorms and lightning. When lightning ashes and strikes the ground, it can be both an amazing and scary experience. But have you wondered how lightning forms?
Scientists have wondered this as well. The primary theories involve something called “charge separation” (we’ll get to that shortly), which leads to the generation of an […]
Derecho
Do you know what a derecho is? Derechos are widespread, long-lived windstorms with
a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms. The phenomenon was discovered and named by Dr. Gustavus Hinrichs, a German immigrant living in Iowa. Derecho (pronounced like “deh- REY-cho” in English) is a Spanish word which means “direct,” or “straight […]
What Is The Atmosphere
You may have heard people mention the atmosphere before. But do you know what it is? The atmosphere is a layer of gases that surrounds the earth. It contains the air we breathe and all the weather that you see, and it also protects us from outer space.
The atmosphere is […]
The Myth, the Legend, the Polar Vortex
The polar vortex is coming! When you hear weather forecasters talk about winter’s blast of cold air you may have heard the term “polar vortex.” e term refers to unusually cold weather. But do you know what the polar vortex actually is?
The term polar vortex refers to […]
Winter can be a magical time of year. Some people like to play outside in the snow with their friends. Others might prefer to sit inside and drink hot chocolate by the re. But no matter how you like to spend time in the winter, it’s always important to think about winter safety.
Your local […]
We’re all familiar with the di erent kinds of weather that
day and night to watch for solar storms using sensors on
blackout in Canada, leaving millions without power for
that we experience here on Earth. But did you know that
satellites and on the ground. If a solar storm is […]
Weather is fascinating, and learning about it can be a lot of fun! If you enjoy tracking storms and watching the weather, then one day you might like to have a job working with weather. There are many different kinds of jobs related to the weather. Some people are physical scientists such as meteorologists (they […]
To get to a place on land, you use a road or highway. But did you know that there are highways for the sea, too?
One of them is the Alaska Marine Highway System, which ships use to transport people and vehicles to coastal communities on a year-round basis. It covers about 3,500 miles from Bellingham, Washington, to Dutch Harbor, Alaska. How long is that? […]
A thunderstorm is a rain shower during which you see lightning and/or hear thunder. Since thunder comes from lightning, all thunderstorms have lightning.
Thunderstorms are most likely in the spring and summer months and during the afternoon and evening hours when it’s warm, but they can occur any time of the day and any […]
Hi, Kids!
We are in the middle of hurricane season, which seems like a good time to learn more about these impressive storms. Did you know that hurricanes can only form under specific circumstances? Northern Africa is where hurricanes commonly form. Another hurricane fact – there is an organization in charge of naming hurricanes. Learn […]
