Weather and Climate

Thunder and lightning during a rain event. Heavy wind and rain and hail. Cloud type- cumulonimbus Warm humid air gets uplifted. Occur in midwest 60 days out of the year and south east 100 days.

Gulf of mexico-provide warm moist air.

Rockie Mountain-Block warm humid air from moving west.

• mT
• Most common
• Front pulls up mT air
• Instability creates uplift
• Seasonal-Land warmer>water summer and spring
• Daily-Afternoon

1-Cumulus Clouds-Air rising (warm and humid air) Updraft-heated at surface due to land being warmer than waters where it originated.

• 2-Mature Stage-Updraft, precipitation forms and begins to fall creating downdrafts.
• *Entrainment-creates void and surrounding air moves into cloud and with down drafts
• *Once rain starts updrafts cut off, force down drafts to get stronger.

3-Dissipating Stage (End) Downdrafts

• 58 mph wind
• Hail-3/4 inches
• Posisibility of tornados
• Rapid Cooling

1) Air is not rising straight up: instead of sideways

2) Not all rain (downdrafts) cut off updrafts due to the angle of the updrafts.

3)Gust Fronts-downdrafts moving to the front of the storm front; build it outward; cold and windy

4)Forces updrafts to rise sooner and creates a developing cell.

5) Downdrafts lead to further development

Dry lines where strong thunderstorms occur 100-200 miles infront of the cold fronts.

multiple storms combined; with air joining in, in different directions.

First ice pellets

Second updrafts occur and downdrafts

Third movement of break ice pellets up and chargers moves to the top and a negitive charge to the bottom.

Fourth mini charge gets sent to charged grounds and then electricity travels downward.

Lighning super heats air in a short period of time, creates thunder by creation of a sound wave.

warm humid air

Colder heavier air

Traps warm moist air on the surface.

Destroys capping layer, warm air burst up?

• Uncertainty regarding development
• Rotating column of air extending down from a cumulonimbus cloud.
• Funnel vs. Tornado
• Funnel-doesnt touch the ground
• Tornado-Touches the ground
• Rapid drop in pressure
• Condensation and dark clouds
• Invisible vs. dust and debris

• Avg Diameter-500-2000ft
• Avg Speed-30mph
• Avg Wind Speed-72-300+mph
• NE track

Can occur anytime of the year-more frequent during the spring and early summer.

Further north later in the seasons tornados occur

The Fujita Scale-Japanese scientist based on damage assement.

Heavy colder air that becomes part of the down drafts

• Decreasing in tornado related deaths
• Increase in tornados being reported
• This occurs because the increase in technology and warning systems.

Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska

• 318 mph highest wind speed-instraments was destroyed after recording.
• Oklahoma City- only 3-5 people died

• 695 people killed
• On the ground 219 miles
• 1925
• Occured at night

• Develop near equator(center of low pressure)
• Power source warm water
• 80 F prime temp
• Seasonality-late summer to fall
• Most destructive natural disaster
• Storm surge
• High winds
• Tornados
• Lightning

• Need warm water
• Do not form right on equator 5-20 N or S
• Do not cross equator
• No hurricanes on west coast

• 1-Tropical distrubances
• T-Storms
• Little pressure gradience
• no rotation

• 2- Tropical or Easterly Wave
• Ripple in the tradewinds
• Piling up off warm, moist air-->low pressure
• Pressure applied -->curved air flow

• 3-Low Wind Shear
• Low level atmospheric winds or it will get destroyed

• 4-Divergence at the top
• Allows pressure to lower

• 5-Many tropical disturbances: few develop further
• Tropical depression 37>

• 74< winds
• Towering cumulonimbus clouds
• Matual Hurricane= 350 miles in diameter
• Significant pressure drop
• Convergence at the surface and divergence at top
• Strongest wind speeds on the right side

• Trade winds that determine where the hurricane goes
• Right side- Hurricane winds and steering winds are in the same direction/combine, strongest winds and storm surge.
• Left side- opposite direction

• Eye center- air is decending- cloud free, calm area
• Eye wall- most intense rain, wind and most sever weather
• Spiral Bands- radiate outwards

• Storm surge- caused by winds pushing water
• Wind Damage-increase with altitude
• Inland flooding- 100s of miles

Life span- avg of a week