Weather Words and What They Mean
By: Gail Gibbons
Adapted by: Liza Smith
Gibbons, Gail. Weather Words and What They Mean. Scholastic, Inc., 1991.
Air Pressure is the force produced by the weight of the air pressing down on the earth.
The temperature goes up and down. When the sun rises, the air becomes warmer and the temperature goes up. When the sun sets, the air becomes cooler and the temperature goes down.
Clouds come in all shapes and sizes. There are three main kinds of clouds.
Cumulus clouds are puffy. They form during partly sunny days and are fair weather clouds.
Cirrus clouds are the highest clouds. They form on partly cloudy days and mean fair weather, too.
Stratus clouds are low, gray clouds. Sometimes, they bring rain or snow.
Rainbows often happen while it is raining or when the rain stops. The sunbeams shine through the drops of rain and the light breaks up into seven different colors.
Sometimes in the winter time it snows. Snow crystals form when the water freezes inside of the clouds.
Flurries occur when it snows lightly.
Snowstorms occur when a lot of snow falls and it is windy at the same time.
Sleet is snow that refreezes before it hits the ground.
A blizzard is a very heavy snow storm with fast and strong winds.