Winter Storms

Name: ________________________________________________ Per: _____ Date: _______

Why Learn About Winter Weather?

• Each year, dozens of Americans die due to exposure to cold. Add to that number, vehicle accidents and fatalities, fires due to dangerous use of heaters and other winter weather fatalities and you have a significant threat.

• Threats, such as hypothermia and frostbite, can lead to loss of fingers and toes or cause permanent kidney, pancreas and liver injury and even death. You must prepare properly to avoid these extreme dangers. You also need to know what to do if you see symptoms of these threats.

• A major winter storm can last for several days and be accompanied by high winds, freezing rain or sleet, heavy snowfall and cold temperatures.

• People can become trapped at home or in a car, without utilities or other assistance.

• Attempting to walk for help in a winter storm can be a deadly decision.

• The aftermath of a winter storm can have an impact on a community or region for days, weeks or even months.

• Extremely cold temperatures, heavy snow and coastal flooding can cause hazardous conditions and hidden problems.

Activity.

Go to  http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/winterstorm/winterstorms.pdf and find the answers to the following questions:

1. About ______ of injuries due to ice and snow result from vehicle accidents, about _____ occur in people caught out in a storm, and most happen to ______ over ___  years old.

2. Why is ice such a serious problem?

3. Who is most susceptible to extreme cold?

4. What is the wind chill if the temperature is 0 F and the wind is blowing at 15 mph? How long would it take to get frostbite (frozen flesh) under those conditions? What are the symptoms of frostbite

5. What is the average snowfall in NW CT?

Go to http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/wwatch/winter_storms/words.htm and find the answers to the following questions:

6. Freezing rain is produced when the rain clouds are ________________  than the ground below them. The precipitation falls to Earth as a liquid, then ________________  when it strikes solid objects. The result is a clear coating of ice over all that the rain touches. Freezing rain occurring on a large scale is called an ________________ Sleet begins as ________________ , and then freezes on its way to Earth.  Sleet pelts windowpanes and sometimes damages budding plants. Fortunately, sleet ________________ are generally small, about the size of drizzle.  Ice crystals, or individual ________________ , are typically ________________ or six-sided, in design. These tiny, flat plates feature an endless variety of delicate branches and needles extending from their centers.  A magnifying glass reveals the truly beautiful and intricate patterns typical of snowflakes. Heavy snowstorms occur when warm ________________  of air ride up over colder air masses lying in their way. If the rising air is very moist, and if the wedge of cold surface air remains stationary, the stage is set for snowmaking on a large scale. It will continue to snow as long as the supply of warm, moist air lasts, and as long as it is forced to ride up over the colder air mass. Under such circumstances, snow may fall at a rate of 1 inch or more per hour.  Meteorologists call storms with very cold temperatures and winds exceeding 32 miles per hour a ________________ .  This type of storm also blows enough snow to lower the ________________  to below 500 feet.

Go to http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/wwatch/sim/game.htm to answer the following question:

7. What combination of conditions produces the worst winter weather?

 

 

8. Choose a major winter storm and describe what happened.

 

 

 

Go to http://www.usatoday.com/weather/graphics/2007-12-11-winter-precipitation_N.htm, (if the graphics are blocked, use http://www.oocities.org/CapeCanaveral/7639/atmosphere/wthrsta/winterweather.swf or http://www.usatoday.com/weather/tg/wrisnow/frame.htm   to answer the following question:

9. What conditions will result in rain in the winter? Freezing rain? Sleet? Snow?

 

 

 

Go to http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories/s794c.htm   to answer the following question:

9. Make a Venn diagram to compare and contrast weather warnings, watches and advisories.

 

Some additional information:

1. http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/holidays_seasons/winter/framesource.html has photos of recent winter storms.

2. http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/eduinfo/colorbk.pdf  is a coloring book you can print for your younger sibling(s), friends, etc.

3. http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_3_,00.html has a complete list of what you should have in your family's Disaster Supplies Kit, a link to a complete Disaster Guide for your family,  and to a Personal Workplace Disaster Supplies Kit

4. http://www.region10ct.org/LSM/weather/LSMWeatherCenter.htm is the address of LSM's Michaud Weather Center