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Severe Weather 101
Step into the wild world of weather!
What is a wall cloud? What's the difference between a watch and a warning? Is it ever "too cold to snow"? Learn all about thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail, lightning, floods, damaging winds and severe winter weather.

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Step into the wild world of weather! What is a wall cloud? What's the difference between a watch and a warning? Is it ever "too cold to snow"? Learn all about thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail, lightning, floods, damaging winds and severe winter weather.

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Meteorology is a fun and exciting career choice! Meteorologists across the world get to predict some of mother nature's wildest weather. From hurricanes to tornadoes and from heatwaves to blizzards, this is one career choice that will keep you on your toes.

Meteorology is a tough college major. The courses are challenging, but with a little planning and dedication you can get through it. Your planning should start in high school. Meteorologists need to be good at math and science, so take all the courses that you can! If your school offers calculus and physics, take these two classes because they'll help you a lot once you get into college.

The basic requirement for becoming a meteorologist or a climatologist is a 4-year Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology or Atmospheric Sciences. Some teaching, research or management positions require a Masters of Science degree or a Ph.D.

Just to give you an idea, some of the classes that you'll be taking in college will be calculus, physics, dynamics, synoptics, and even computer programming courses. Meteorology is not an easy degree to get, but it one that is very worthwhile.

Whether you already know you want to become a meteorologist or if you're really not sure, the best thing you can do is to shadow or intern with local meteorologists. This is extremely important because it allows you to have a hands on approach and really get to see how we forecast the weather. Just a note, most internships aren't paid, but some of the forecasting techniques that you learn will be more valuable than money.

Here's some pictures that show you exactly what we do at the chrome-a-key wall. Click on the pictures to enlarge!

The top two pictures are of me at the chrome-a-key wall. This is the wall where I do the weather. There are monitors on both sides of the wall for me to look at.

The side picture is of my camera. This is the camera that you see me in, when you're watching TV at home. I see my reflection in this camera, so I know where to point.

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Weather Wiz Kids weather information for kids

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Weather Wiz Kids is a fun and safe website for kids about all the weather info they need to know. It contains tools for weather education, including weather games, activities, experiments, photos, a glossary and educational teaching materials for the classroom.

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At Blocks Rock!, we're continuing our series highlighting awesome STEM careers that inspire kids! For our third spotlight, we're choosing an electrifying career...meteorology!

Read this article to learn more about what a meteorologist is and what they do, the steps to become a meteorologist, and fun meteorology-related activities for kids! Read to the end to find our third printable poster, perfect for a child's bedroom wall or a classroom.

Understanding Meteorology

Your first thought about a meteorologist is probably - they try to predict the weather! While that is part of the job of some meteorologists, there's actually more to meteorology than you'd expect.

As defined by the American Meteorological Society, "A meteorologist is an individual with specialized education who uses scientific principles to explain, observe...or forecast the earth's atmospheric phenomena and/or how the atmosphere affects the earth and life on the planet."

The atmosphere is the layer of gas that surround the earth, and it's around 65-75 miles thick! Phenomena is another word for events or happenings. So altogether, the meteorologists study the layer of gas that surround the earth, what happens in that layer of gas, and how this interesting part of earth affects the life on our planet.

Different types of atmospheric happenings include clouds, changes in the air, weather, storms, and much more.

Some meteorologists go on to forecast, or predict, what type of weather might happen in the atmosphere. Turn on your local news, and you'll probably see one!

Meteorologist Job Duties

Depending on what you choose to study as a meteorologist, your day could look pretty different.

Some meteorologists are weather forecasters. As EnvironmentalScience.org says, these type of meteorologists use computers and information collected from around the world to help predict weather in their local areas! Many weather forecasters work behind the scenes for the government or for businesses that need help knowing what to expect from the weather, like airlines. If the weather is bad, these meteorologists work to let people know what to expect and how to stay safe.

Other meteorologists are researchers. They can study many different parts of the atmosphere and look at long weather patterns, including global warming. Many of these types of meteorologists work at universities. They could spend their days going out and collecting different air samples to study, chasing and studying storms, looking at information gathered from other researchers to try, and more!

How to Become a Meteorologist

According to the World Meteorological Association, there are a few ways you can get involved with meteorology. Generally, you'll need a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology or Atmospheric Sciences, or a Master of Science in Meteorology.

Here are some of the steps you can take to make that happen:

1. Work hard in classes in school that focus on math, chemistry, physics

2. Make sure you're good at using computers - since you'll be using them a lot as a meteorologist!

3. Choose and attend a college that offers great science education. If you know you want to be a meteorologist, you can get a degree in meteorology or atmospheric sciences. If you want more options, you could study mathematics, physical sciences, or engineering.

4. Search for experiences that get you into the field and help you try the different areas of meteorology. See if there's a private weather consulting firm nearby that you can intern at, or a news station, or a laboratory at your school that studies the weather.

5. If you want, you can decide to earn an advanced degree - a master's or even a doctorate, which is the highest degree in meteorology.

6. If you want to be a weather broadcaster on the TV, you should also take communication classes and practice your public speaking.

While becoming a meteorologist can be a lot of work, if you're passionate about it, you'll be excited and interested at every step of the way. And by the time you're done, you could be helping to predict the weather too!
For more information on this, click here to visit the World Meteorological Organization.
Fun Activities for Interested Meteorologists

So what can a parent do for a little weather forecaster? We've put together a list of fun activities that encourage a love of science, math, and atmospheric exploration and also helps build skills that are critical for a future in STEM learning!

Track the Weather - As the seasons change, you can learn and observe how the weather changes with it! Little Pinch of Perfect offers a free printable weather chart that's great for using at home or at school.

Make Your Own Rain or Snow Gauge - Your kids can learn more about the "unpredictable world of meteorology" with this easy home activity from News24.

Use Fun Weather Flashcards to Teach Terms - Easy Peasy Learners has a set of free downloadable flashcards that you can use to teach weather terms. If you print out two sets, you can use it as a memory card game! Download and learn more about the flashcards here!

Make Your Own Windsock- The Chaos and the Clutter shares a way to make a home windsock that shows the direction that the wind is blowing. Click here to learn how!

Read a Book About Weather - There are some fun reading options for your young meteorologist. Try "The Kids Book of Weather Forecasting", "National Geographic Kids Everything Weather", and more! Check out a list of book options here.

Explore the National Weather Service's Online Content for Kids - The National Weather Services has an area of its website that links to activities for kids, including Web Weather for Kids and more. Click here to explore it!

Get inspired with our Meteorologist Printable!

This one-page printable is a fun summary of this blog post and has a checklist of the activities for young meteorologists. Download it here.

As always, if you're looking to build skills critical for STEM careers, remember to play Blocks Rock!

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STEM Career Inspiration for Kids: Meteorologists

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At Blocks Rock!, we're continuing our series highlighting awesome STEM careers that inspire kids! For our third spotlight, we're choosing an electrifying career...meteorology! Read this article to learn more about what a meteorologist is and what they do, the steps to become a meteorologist, and fun meteorology-related activities for kids!

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NASA.gov brings you the latest news, images and videos from America’s space agency, pioneering the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research.

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If you've looked at a weather forecast on your TV, computer or phone, you've probably seen a weather map that looks something like this:

Meteorologists at the National Weather Service use information from ground stations and weather satellites to make these maps. Words like "rain" and "snow" are pretty obvious, but what exactly do the symbols on a weather map tell you about the weather? Use our handy dandy guide below to find out!

High and Low Pressure Areas

Earth's atmosphere is a jacket of gases that surrounds the planet. Although it seems like these gases could easily float away into space, gravity is constantly pulling the atmosphere toward Earth's surface. The force with which our atmosphere pushes down on a specific location on Earth is called atmospheric pressure.

Atmospheric pressure is mainly dependent on two things: the weight of the atmosphere in a specific location and the temperature of the air. If you're at a low elevation-such as in a valley-there is a lot of atmosphere above you and the weight is very heavy. That means that you experience higher atmospheric pressure at lower elevations and lower atmospheric pressure in higher elevations.

Warm air can also cause the atmospheric pressure to rise. When the air is warm, gas molecules move around quickly in the air pushing out on the area around them. This causes high atmospheric pressure. In cold air the gas molecules slow down, causing low atmospheric pressure.

Water vapor in the atmosphere can also change the atmospheric pressure. Very moist air that has lots of water vapor is actually lighter and less dense than dry air. This is because water molecules are lighter than molecules of nitrogen or oxygen-the most abundant gases in our atmosphere. So, very moist air in the atmosphere can lead to low atmospheric pressure and very dry air can lead to high atmospheric pressure.

Atmospheric pressure is measured with an instrument on the ground called a barometer, and these measurements are collected at many locations across the U.S. by the National Weather Service. On weather maps, these readings are represented as a blue "H" for high pressure or a red "L" for low pressure.

What it Means on the Weather Map

A high pressure system is a dense air mass that is usually cooler and drier than the surrounding air. A low pressure system is a less dense air mass that is usually wetter and warmer than the surrounding air.

In general, areas that experience high atmospheric pressure also experience fair weather. Low pressure systems can cause the formation of clouds and storms. Air usually flows from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.

High and Low Pressure Systems: From Space

From high above Earth, satellites such as GOES-16 keep an eye on the weather brought by low pressure systems. The red "L" on the map above indicates a low pressure system in the Tennessee Valley region. In the video below from GOES-16, you can see what that same low pressure system looks like from a weather satellite.

Cold Fronts and Warm Fronts

A warm front is the transition area where a mass of warm air moves to replace a mass of cold air. On a weather map, a warm front is usually drawn using a solid red line with half circles pointing in the direction of the cold air that will be replaced. Warm fronts usually move from southwest to northeast. A warm front can initially bring some rain, followed by clear skies and warm temperatures.

A cold front is the transition area where a mass of cold air moves in to replace a mass of warm air. On a weather map, a cold front is usually drawn using a solid blue line with triangles pointing in the direction of the warm air that will be replaced. Cold fronts typically move from northwest to southeast. A cold front can bring cold temperatures, torrential rains and high wind speeds.

A stationary front happens when a cold front and a warm front meet up, but neither moves out of the way. On a weather map, a stationary front is usually drawn using alternating cold front and warm front symbols. Stationary fronts bring long rainy periods that stay in one spot.

Cold fronts move faster than warm fronts, and sometimes a cold front catches up to a warm front. When this happens, it's called an occluded front. Occluded fronts are drawn as a solid purple line with half circles and triangles pointing in the direction that the front is moving. An occluded front usually brings dry air.

Cold Fronts and Warm Fronts: From Space

GOES-16 and other weather satellites are also on the lookout for cold fronts and warm fronts and the weather they produce. Below, you can see the comparison of a cold front on a forecast map and a cold front in a satellite image.

Weather Satellites

Information from weather satellites, such as the GOES-R series and JPSS will help improve our understanding of Earth's weather.

For example, the GOES-R series provides information about atmospheric water vapor and cloud height right now. This can help meteorologists monitor and track severe weather events, such as storms and hurricanes as they happen. JPSS satellites survey the entire planet and continuously provide global atmospheric temperature and water vapor information. This information is needed to create reliable weather forecasts up to seven days in advance!

JPSS and the GOES-R series work together for weather applications. JPSS is critical for getting ready for severe weather events, while GOES-R monitors severe weather as it unfolds for real-time warnings.

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If you've looked at a weather forecast on your TV, computer or phone, you've probably seen a weather map that looks something like this: Meteorologists at the National Weather Service use information from ground stations and weather satellites to make these maps.

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Sea breezes occur during hot, summer days because of the unequal heating rates of land and water. During the day, the land surface heats up faster than the water surface. Therefore, the air above the land is warmer than the air above the ocean. Now, recall that warmer air is lighter than cooler air. As a result, warm air rises. Therefore, the warmer air over the land surface is rising. As the warm air over the land is rising, the cooler air over the ocean is flowing over the land surface to replace the rising warm air. This is the sea breeze and can be seen at the top of the following image. The bottom of the following image illustrates the land breeze that occurs at night. Recall that the land surface cools quicker than the water surface at night. Therefore, the warmer air over the ocean is buoyant and is rising. The denser cool air over the land is flowing offshore to replenish the buoyant warm air and is called a land breeze.
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What are sea breezes and why do they occur?

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Sea breezes occur during hot, summer days because of the unequal heating rates of land and water. During the day, the land surface heats up faster than the water surface. Therefore, the air above the land is warmer than the air above the ocean. Now, recall that warmer air is lighter than cooler air.