Weather
Challenge: Weather Observations
Weather has an impact on all our activities and is an important observation to make as part of your daily routine. Document your observations of weather in your nature journal each day and see how they change over time.
What causes weather to change?
All of the weather on earth is driven by energy from the sun. This gives us differing air pressure, wind speed and direction, cloud type, and temperature.
Air Pressure
Wind Speed
Cloud Type
Temperature
Weather Stations
Is a weather station near your home? A weather station is an instrument that collects data to help forecast the weather for a certain location.
Weather Tools
Weather tools help scientists measure changes in the atmosphere and make weather forecasts.
A rain gauge captures rainwater so scientists can measure how much rainwater fell. If you have a garden, a rain gauge is a great way to monitor how much water your garden receives.
Challenge: Make Your Own Rain Gauge
Create your own rain gauge using a recycled plastic bottle.
Carefully cut the top of the bottle and place it inside the bottom half to create a funnel.
Then use a ruler to add measurements to the side of the bottle.
Challenge: Citizen Science
Measure how much precipitation is collected in your rain gauge each day. Your observations and data collection can help meteorologists make better precipitation forecasts!
Go to CoCoRaHS Network to document your daily observations and data collection about the precipitation where you live (it only takes 2-5 minutes).
Cloud Observations
An important observation to add to your weather watching is what type(s) of clouds do you see? Cloud type can give us an idea of what kind of weather to expect today and for the next 12-24 hours.
Check out the cloud resource to help you get started.
Challenge:
Spend time observing clouds.
What kinds of clouds do you see?
Make observational drawings of clouds
Take photo of different types of clouds and categorize them
What types of clouds are the most interesting to you? Why?
Clues in the Clouds - Young Naturalists.pdfWI Week 2 Friday Forecast.mp4Challenge: Make Your Own Forecast
We often take the weather forecast for granted, but it’s a relatively new service. An accurate 5-day forecast has only been around since the 1990s. Due to the complexity of factors in nature, it is unlikely we will be able to accurately forecast further out than this.
Forecast Data Needed:
To make your 12-24 hour forecast you will need three pieces of data.
Barometer (air pressure) readings for yesterday and today. We are looking for the overall trend. Are the numbers holding steady, rising or falling?
Wind Direction Which direction is the wind coming from? You can use a compass, a map or the sun to figure out the directions.
Cloud Type What is the main cloud formation you are seeing today?
Find the barometric trend, wind direction and cloud type on the accompanying charts from the National Weather Service that best match your observations and that is your 24 hour forecast.
Learn more about weather in Minnesota from naturalists at the Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center.