Weather 101

Weather from the ground up

Part I

It all begins with the Sun

Visual

UV

X Ray

Basic Solar Statistics

• Surface Temperature of ~5800 K• 93,000,000 miles from Earth• It takes light eight minutes to reach us• It would take100 Earths to equal the Sun’s size• It emits 4 x 1026 Watts/s• Mass of 2 x 1030 kg• Rotation of 24 days

Solar Energy

This is A LOT of energy..enough raise the temperatureOf the Earth several 100 degrees…

If this occurred we would be dead, but…….

WE HAVE AN ATMOSPHERE!!

The Atmosphere’s Energy Budget

The Earth in Space

• 365.25 days to orbit• 23.5 degree axial tilt• Nearly circular orbit• The earth orbits on the

solar plane• These orbital

parameters can change but that’s a more complex story……..

Once the energy comes into the Atmosphere, how does it get

distributed?

It would be straight to the poles, of course…….

                      

There’s just one problem………

WE ROTATE!

Creating Winds

• Hot air rises, cold air sinks

• Energy surplus to deficit

• Coriolis effect “tilts” the flow

• Prevailing winds

Water, Water Everywhere

• Water is found in three states on Earth

• All water is cycled over time

Ocean Currents:Moving energy in Water

• Water, like air, rises and sinks

• Warm water flows north

• Cold water flows south

• Interaction between air and water create the weather dynamic

Where Are We? TuesdayPartly Cloudy. High: 48° F / 9° C Wind SSW 22 mph / 36 km/hLow: 46° F / 8° C

WednesdayChance of Rain. High: 51° F / 11° C Wind WNW 8 mph / 14 km/h

\ Low: 37° F / 3° CThursday

Clear. High: 48° F / 9° C Wind SSE 8 mph / 14 km/hLow: 42° F / 6° CFriday

Partly Cloudy. High: 48° F / 9° C Wind South 15 mph / 25 km/hLow: 42° F / 6° C

SaturdayClear. High: 48° F / 9° C Wind South 17 mph / 28 km/h

Low: 42° F / 6° CSunday

Chance of Rain. High: 48° F / 9° C Wind South 33 mph / 54 km/hLow: 46° F / 8° C

MondayPartly Cloudy. High: 48° F / 9° C Wind WSW 8 mph / 14 km/hLondon, England - January

Happy Valley-Goose Bay Happy Valley-Goose Bay: Issued 11.30 AM NST Tuesday 10 January 2006

Today Sunny with cloudy periods. 30 percent chance of flurries near noon. Wind becoming west 20 km/h this afternoon. High 14. Tonight Cloudy periods with 40 percent chance of flurries. Wind northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50. Low 0. Cold wind chill minus 2. Wednesday Sunny. Wind northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50. Temperature falling to minus 2 in the afternoon. Cold wind chill minus 5. Thursday A mix of sun and cloud with 30 percent chance of flurries. Low minus 2. High 11. Friday A mix of sun and cloud with 30 percent chance of flurries. Low 11. High minus 12. Saturday A mix of sun and cloud with 60 percent chance of flurries. Low minus 3. High 9.

For Comparision…..Labrador, CanadaTemperatures in farenheit

What do we know?

• The Sun is the ignition for the weather engine• The atmosphere protects us from over heating• Heat, water and air are the “ingredients” of

weather• Energy moves around the Earth due to

atomospheric and ocean circulation

Weather 101 Part II

Air Masses

High Pressure Systems

When Air masses meet..

• The polar front or jet stream forms

• Divides the cold air from the warm air

• Storms form at this border of air

When air collides

• Fronts are the boundary between two air masses

• Warm air pushed up due to cold air

• Move counterclockwise

Interior of Fronts

• Frontal systems evolve• Warm and cold fronts

are part of a low pressure system

• Stationary fronts are “stalled”

• Occluded fronts are one sitting on top of another

Creating Cyclones

• Cyclones are Low pressure systems moving counter clockwise

• They are “spun off” from the polar front

• As Temperature reaches equilibrium, they dissipate.

Low Pressure Systems

• Lows evolve over time• They can last as long

as a week• Wave of unstable air• Mature system• Form occluded front• Stationary when

stalled

Friday 1/13

Saturday 1/14

Sunday 1/15

Monday 1/16