Weather

What is Weather?

Weather is what is happening in the air outside right at this moment. It can change very quickly—it might be sunny in the morning and rainy by lunchtime! Weather happens in the atmosphere, which is the layer of air that surrounds the Earth like a big, fuzzy blanket.

The Ingredients of Weather

To make "weather," nature mixes a few basic ingredients:

• Temperature: How hot or cold the air is. The Sun warms the Earth, which warms the air.
• Wind: Moving air. Wind happens when warm air rises, and cool air rushes in to take its place.
• Precipitation: Water falling from the sky. This can be rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
• Clouds: Tiny drops of water or ice crystals floating together in the sky.

Types of Weather

1. Sunny The sky is clear, and the Sun’s rays reach the Earth directly. It is usually the best time for playing outside, but you need sunscreen!

2. Cloudy Clouds block the Sun's light. Sometimes clouds are white and fluffy (Cumulus), and sometimes they are dark and gray, which means rain is coming.

3. Rainy When clouds get too heavy with water droplets, the water falls down as rain. This provides the "drink" that plants and trees need to grow.

4. Windy The air is moving fast. This can be a light breeze that flys a kite or a strong gale that knocks down tree branches.

5. Snowy When the air is very cold (below $0°C$ or $32°F$), the water in the clouds freezes into beautiful, six-sided ice crystals called snowflakes.

Weather Tools (How We Measure It)

Scientists who study the weather are called Meteorologists. They use special tools to tell us what the weather will be like:

• Thermometer: Measures the temperature (how hot/cold).
• Rain Gauge: Measures how much rain has fallen.
• Wind Vane: Shows which direction the wind is blowing.
• Anemometer: Measures how fast the wind is moving.

Why Do We Check the Weather?

• Safety: To know if a big storm is coming so we can stay inside.
• Clothing: To decide if we need a heavy coat, an umbrella, or just a T-shirt.
• Planning: To see if it's a good day for a picnic or if the farmer needs to water their crops.

Lesson Summary

• Weather is the current state of the air outside.
• It includes temperature, wind, and precipitation.
• Meteorologists use tools like thermometers to predict the weather.