Weather Types

What is Weather?

Weather describes the current atmospheric conditions in a place at any given moment in time. 

On a day-to-day basis, it tells us about the temperature, precipitation, humidity (amount of moisture in the air), and wind conditions.

A meteorologist is a scientist who observes, studies, and forecasts the weather.

Why do we need to know what the weather is?

Knowing the weather conditions helps us dress appropriately and plan our daily activities.

Let’s learn about the five different weather types we can experience.

Sunny

Warm temperatures and blue skies identify sunny days.

• No clouds are blocking the sun. 
• Sunny days occur more in Spring and Summer.
• Sunny days bring more heat and energy for plants to grow.

Protection: 

• Wear sunscreen to prevent sunburns.
• Drink lots of water to avoid dehydration.

Cloudy

A lot of clouds in the sky identify cloudy days.

• The clouds block the sun, making it darker on a cloudy day.
• Cloudy days can be cold as there is less sunlight reaching the Earth.
• Cloudy days will be warm if there is a lot of humidity (water in the atmosphere).

Protection: 

• Wear a light jacket when it is cloudy and cold.
• Wear sunscreen as the sun’s rays still reach Earth through the clouds.

Rainy

Large black clouds identify rainy days.

• Cloudy days become rainy if the cloud gets very heavy because of too much precipitation.
• Rainy days occur almost every day in tropical rainforests.
• Rainy days provide a lot of water for plants to grow.

Protection: 

• Wear a raincoat or carry an umbrella.
• Wear rain boots.

Snowy

Snowy days occur mainly in Winter and are very cold.

• The precipitation falls as snow due to the extremely low temperatures.
• The water in the cloud freezes and forms snowflakes.
• Snowy days help fill up the water reservoirs to prevent droughts.

Protection: 

• Wear a snow jacket, gloves, and scarf.
• Wear snow boots to prevent slipping on ice.

Windy

Wind speeds of 20 to 30 miles per hour identify windy days.

• Changes in the temperature of land, water, and air cause wind.
• Warm air rises up from the surface of the Earth and gets replaced by cold air, which weighs more.
• This movement of air causes wind. 

Protection: 

• Wear a windbreaker to keep you warm.
• Wear a scarf to protect your face and neck.

Review

Let’s quickly recap what we learned about the weather types.

• What is a scientist who studies the weather called? Meteorologist
• What type of weather is identified by warm temperatures? Sunny
• What type of weather is identified by large black clouds? Rainy
• What type of weather makes the day darker and colder? Cloudy
• What type of weather has warm air moving upwards and being replaced by cold air? Windy
• What type of weather freezes the water in the cloud? Snowy