Precipitations - Geography Worksheets printable pdf download

Precipitations

Name: __________________________________________ Period: _______ Date: ___________

Essential Question: How do snows, hail, sleet, and rain form?

One of the more common questions before a winter storm strikes usually centers

around whether your area will receive snow, sleet, freezing rain, or a combination of all three.

Meteorologist at the

National Weather Service

continually investigate atmospheric data and

computer model forecasts, to forewarn you of any or all of these hazards. But what is the

difference between freezing rain and sleet…and even snow? It all depends on the temperature,

not only here on the ground, but in the upper atmosphere as well. We get just rain when the

temperatures are above 32° throughout most of the air column above the surface. Snow is

produced when temperatures are cold both aloft and at the ground. The snow does not melt as

it falls, and temperatures at or below 32 degrees near the ground allow it to accumulate.

Sleet is formed when temperatures is slightly above freezing aloft produce rain that freezes to

ice pellets, as it falls into a cold layer of air. Sleet usually bounces when hitting a surface and

does not stick to objects. However, it can produce a “sandlike” accumulation like snow.

Freezing rain forms when warm temperatures aloft , generally several degrees above freezing,

produces rain that falls onto a surface with temperatures below 32 degrees. This causes the

liquid rain to freeze on impact to objects such as trees, power lines, cars and roads forming a

coating or glaze of ice. Even a small amount of freezing rain on roads can create a significant

travel hazard. ( aloft means great height )

Clarifying Questions:

1. How do meteorologist at the National Weather Service investigate and predict the weather?

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2. Why do meteorologist take their job of investigating the condition of the atmosphere seriously?

Think! _______________________________________________________________________________

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3. What factors determines the type of precipitation?

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4. What condition/s results to rain as the type of precipitation?

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5. What condition/s results to snow as the type of precipitation?

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6. What condition/s results to sleet as the type of precipitation?

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7. How can sleet form “sandlike” accumulation like snow?

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8. What condition/s results to freezing rain as the type of precipitation?

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Precipitations - Geography Worksheets