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Storms and Other Weather

Storms and Other Weather

Discover the weather conditions necessary for blizzards, tornados, hurricanes, and more.

Thunderstorms

Right now there are about two thousand thunderstorms going on around the world. Thunderstorms bring intense rain, hail, wind, lightning, thunder, and even tornadoes.

How Thunderstorms Form

Have you ever wondered what happens in the atmospheric when a thunderstorm forms?

Where Thunderstorms Happen

Some places in the United States have more thunderstorms that other areas. What is the average number of thunderstorm days in your state?

Thunder and Lightning

Did you know that there are three different types of lightning? How does lightning form, and how does it lead to thunder?

Tornadoes

A dark funnel of cloud extends below a storm. If it reaches the ground, it’s a tornado.

How Tornadoes Form

Only about one thunderstorm in a thousand produces tornadoes. So how do tornadoes form?

Where Tornadoes Happen

Tornadoes, also called twisters, are columns of air rotating dangerously fast. Find out where they happen.

Hurricanes

A strong hurricane can spell disaster. These huge storms are the most powerful of all weather systems. Learn about how they form and the impacts they can have.

How Hurricanes Form

Only a small number of tropical storms become hurricanes. What conditions are necessary for a hurricane to form?

Hurricane Damage

When a hurricane strikes a coastal area, it brings a number of serious hazards - heavy rains, high winds, a storm surge, and even tornadoes.

What Causes Storm Surge?

Storm surge floods a coast as a hurricane or tropical storm comes ashore, but the amount of flooding that will occur is influenced by atmospheric conditions, shape of the coastline, and other factors.

What Are Monsoons and Why Do They Happen?

A monsoon is not a storm like a hurricane or a summer thunderstorm, but a much larger pattern of winds and rain that spans a continent or even the entire globe.

Winter Storms

Hoping for a snow day? A snow storm is just one kind of winter storm. Learn what happens when a winter storm occurs, and how this might affect us.

Blizzards

High winds can send snow flying through the air, reducing visibility and causing power outages. That's just some of what you can expect from a blizzard.

Icy Winter Weather

Will freezing rain cause an ice storm? Will it rain or snow? Each of these different types of precipitation is possible with a winter storm.

Will It Rain, Sleet, or Snow?

Can you predict if it will rain, sleet, or snow? Test your forecasting skills!

Icy Precipitation

Snowflakes are not the only type of icy precipitation. Find out about other types of ice that fall from the sky.

Snowflakes

Some snowflakes are made of a single ice crystal while other, more elaborate, snowflakes are made of as many as 200 ice crystals fused together.

Storms Activities

Storms Images

Storms Videos

Storms Games and Simulations

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This material is based upon work supported by the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, a major facility sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation and managed by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation.

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