MAP TAP 2002-2003Weather Fronts1 Bell Work- Good morning Shinning Students! Determine if each answer is correct or incorrect and explain why. 1. The following

MAP TAP 2002-2003MAP TAP 2002-2003 Weather FrontsWeather Fronts 11

Bell Work- Bell Work- Good morning Shinning Good morning Shinning Students!Students!

Determine if each answer is correct or incorrect Determine if each answer is correct or incorrect and explain why.and explain why.

1. The following is a process that takes 1. The following is a process that takes place in the atmosphere:place in the atmosphere:

solar energy→warm air rises→air cools in solar energy→warm air rises→air cools in upper atmosphere and sinks→air upper atmosphere and sinks→air currentscurrents

This process can best be identified asThis process can best be identified as

F F wind formation.wind formation.

G G cloud formation.cloud formation.

H H precipitation runoff.precipitation runoff.

J J static electricity.static electricity.


StandardsStandards

SPI 0607.8.4SPI 0607.8.4

Interpret meteorological data to make Interpret meteorological data to make predictions about the weatherpredictions about the weather

SPI 0607.8.2SPI 0607.8.2

Recognize the connection between the Recognize the connection between the sun’s energy and the windsun’s energy and the wind


Study IslandStudy Island• Due December 2, 2010.Due December 2, 2010.• Remember: class with the highest Remember: class with the highest

overall average and the most amount overall average and the most amount of questions attempted will win a prize.of questions attempted will win a prize.

• Currently, 1Currently, 1stst period is winning! period is winning!

• If you have not tried to get on at home If you have not tried to get on at home yet, you need to attempt this weekend yet, you need to attempt this weekend and let me know Monday if it isn’t and let me know Monday if it isn’t working.working.


• What type of cloud forms when warm What type of cloud forms when warm air rises and generally indicates good air rises and generally indicates good weather?weather?

• What type of clouds form in layers?What type of clouds form in layers?

• What does the word “nimbo” tell us What does the word “nimbo” tell us is about to happen?is about to happen?

Weather FrontsWeather Fronts

ScienceScience 6 6thth Grade Grade

TeacherPage


Weather FrontsWeather Fronts

Have you ever wondered how the Have you ever wondered how the weather can change so quickly? For weather can change so quickly? For example, the weather may be warm example, the weather may be warm and sunny in the morning and cold and sunny in the morning and cold and rainy by the afternoon.and rainy by the afternoon.

Discuss with your neighbor, what Discuss with your neighbor, what causes these changes in weather?causes these changes in weather?


Air MassAir Mass• A large body A large body

of air with of air with similar similar temperature temperature and moisture.and moisture.

• Air masses Air masses form over form over large land or large land or water water masses.masses.


Frontal BoundariesFrontal Boundaries

• Where air Where air masses interact – masses interact – also know as a also know as a front.front.

• 4 kinds of fronts:4 kinds of fronts:– Cold frontCold front– Warm frontWarm front– Occluded frontOccluded front– Stationary frontStationary front


Cold Air MassesCold Air Masses

Most of the cold winter weather in the U.S. Most of the cold winter weather in the U.S. is influenced by is influenced by three polarthree polar air masses. air masses.

Continental Polar-Continental Polar- (cP)- is an air mass that (cP)- is an air mass that forms over northern Canada and brings forms over northern Canada and brings extremely extremely cold cold weather to the U.S. in the weather to the U.S. in the winterwinter and and cool drycool dry weather in the weather in the summersummer..


Cold Air Masses continuedCold Air Masses continued

Maritime Polar (mP)- are air masses Maritime Polar (mP)- are air masses that form over the North Pacific that form over the North Pacific Ocean and are cool and very wet. Ocean and are cool and very wet.

Brings rain and snow to the Pacific Brings rain and snow to the Pacific Coast in winter and Coast in winter and cool, foggycool, foggy weather in the summer.weather in the summer.

Cold FrontCold Front• A A coldcold air air

mass is mass is replacing a replacing a warmerwarmer air air mass.mass.

• Shown on a Shown on a weather map weather map by a blue line by a blue line with with triangles triangles pointing the pointing the direction the direction the cool air is cool air is moving.moving.

Back toactivity


Warm MassesWarm MassesWarm MassesWarm Masses- there are - there are fourfour warm air masses that warm air masses that

effect the weather in the U.S.effect the weather in the U.S.

Maritime Tropical (mT)- an air mass that develops Maritime Tropical (mT)- an air mass that develops over warm areas in the Pacific Ocean and are over warm areas in the Pacific Ocean and are milder than mP.milder than mP.

Other mT develop over the Guld of Mexico and the Other mT develop over the Guld of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean and bring hot and humid weather Atlantic Ocean and bring hot and humid weather in the summer, hurricanes, and thunderstorms.in the summer, hurricanes, and thunderstorms.

Maritime Polar (mP)- an air mass that forms over Maritime Polar (mP)- an air mass that forms over the Pacific ocean and brings cooler airthe Pacific ocean and brings cooler air


Warm masses continuedWarm masses continued

Continental TropicalContinental Tropical- (cT)- an air mass that - (cT)- an air mass that forms over the deserts of northeren forms over the deserts of northeren Mexico and southwestern United States.Mexico and southwestern United States.

This mass moves northward and brings This mass moves northward and brings clear, dry and hot weather in the summer.clear, dry and hot weather in the summer.

Continental PolarContinental Polar- (cP)- form over northern - (cP)- form over northern Canada and bring cool weatherCanada and bring cool weather


Warm FrontWarm Front

• WarmWarm air mass air mass replacing a replacing a coolercooler air air mass.mass.

• Shown on a Shown on a weather map weather map by a red line by a red line with with half half circlescircles pointing pointing the direction the direction the warm air is the warm air is movingmoving..

Back toactivity


Comparing Warm and Cold Comparing Warm and Cold FrontsFronts

• Cold fronts move Cold fronts move faster than warm fronts.faster than warm fronts.

• The weather activity in a cold front is often The weather activity in a cold front is often violent and happens directly at the front.violent and happens directly at the front.

• Cold fronts have sudden gusty winds high in Cold fronts have sudden gusty winds high in

the air creating turbulence. the air creating turbulence.

• The weather activity in a warm front The weather activity in a warm front generally happens before the front passes. generally happens before the front passes.

• In a warm front the cloud formation is very In a warm front the cloud formation is very low often creating situations of poor visibility.low often creating situations of poor visibility.


Occluded FrontsOccluded Fronts• When a warm When a warm

front is trapped front is trapped by 2 by 2 coldcold fronts. fronts.

• Shown on a Shown on a weather map weather map by a purple line by a purple line with alternating with alternating triangles and triangles and semicirclessemicircles pointing the pointing the direction the direction the front is moving.front is moving.

Back toactivity

MAP TAP 2002-2003MAP TAP 2002-2003

Stationary FrontsStationary Fronts• A front that A front that stopsstops moving or is moving very moving or is moving very

slowlyslowly..

• Shown on a weather map with alternating red Shown on a weather map with alternating red semicirclessemicircles pointing away from the warm air and pointing away from the warm air and blue blue trianglestriangles pointing away from the cold pointing away from the cold air. air.

Back toactivity

http://www.windows.ucar.edu/earth/Atmosphere/images/stationary_front_sm.jpg


Let’s take a look!Let’s take a look!

http://www.phschool.com/atschhttp://www.phschool.com/atschool/phsciexp/active_art/weatherool/phsciexp/active_art/weather_fronts/_fronts/

Locate the 4 types of fronts on Locate the 4 types of fronts on this weather map.this weather map.

Hint1

Hint2

Hint3

Hint4

Cold FrontsCold Fronts

Warm FrontWarm Front

Stationary FrontStationary Front

Occluded FrontOccluded Front

Weather FrontsWeather Fronts 2525

Be a Weather ForecasterBe a Weather Forecaster

You are planning to travel to Alabama in 2 days. The high temperature there for today is 68º F.

You are planning to travel to Alabama in 2 days. The high temperature there for today is 68º F.

Use the map to help you predict whether the temperature in Alabama will increase, decrease, or stay the same. Explain why you think so.

2626


There is a cold front approaching. The temperatures will probably be cooler behind the front.

There is a cold front approaching. The temperatures will probably be cooler behind the front.



• Of course, meteorologists Of course, meteorologists (weather forecasters) use (weather forecasters) use much more data than fronts much more data than fronts and air masses to help them and air masses to help them forecast the weather more forecast the weather more accurately. But any forecast accurately. But any forecast is just a prediction of what is just a prediction of what might might happen. Even with happen. Even with the best data, weather the best data, weather forecasts can be wrong. forecasts can be wrong.

Documents

MAP TAP 2002-2003Weather Fronts1 Bell Work- Good morning Shinning Students! Determine if each answer is correct or incorrect and explain why. 1. The following