FREE Resources All About Strange Weather
Published:
June 30, 2020
Contributor:
Sarah Shelton
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When you are learning about weather in science, or in your homeschool you will encounter some basic weather terminology. It seems like everyone knows what tornadoes and hurricanes are. These large natural disasters that make the news on a regular basis. We understand to watch for severe weather warnings, and thunderstorms, but do your kids know about strange weather? If your kids want to know more, they will enjoy these free resources all about strange weather!
There are some strange weather events, or phenomenon that can be common, but aren’t heard of all of the time. They are pretty strange, and exciting to learn about and to watch. Have your kids ever seen a fire rainbow? Do they know what a haboob is? Have they seen a water spout over a lake or ocean? These are super fun to learn about, and would be a great addition to a weather unit study.
Let’s learn about few strange weather happenings with these free resources:
Water Spouts:
Water spouts can be pretty mind blowing to see. It is a whirling column of air and water mist that forms a funnel over water. They are often called sea or water tornadoes and can be very destructive.
8 Facts about water spouts at sea – Marine Insight
All About Water Spouts with pictures, stages and video – Earth Sky
Water Spout Lesson Plan – National Geographic
What is a Water Spout and How does the National Weather Service forecast waterspouts? – National Weather Service
Waterspout Facts for Kids with lots of photos – Kids Kiddle
Dust Storms and Haboobs:
Dust storms are crazy. They can be very difficult to see and drive through. I remember driving through my first dust storm in Arizona. It was worse than heavy Florida rainstorms. I had to pull over on the side of the road to let it pass. We literally saw desert tumbleweeds flying across the road, like something out of an old western movie.
Dust Storm Facts for Kids and Lesson Plans – Study.com
7 Crazy Facts About Dust Storms – Live Science
I am sure you have seen it in the news and experienced the beautiful sunsets. As well as the allergies from all of the dust from the Saharan dust storm. These articles will help you learn more about this African storm, that reached America this past week.
Satellite Analyzes Saharan Dust Aerosol Blanket – Science Daily
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Analyzes the Saharan Dust Plume – Climate – Nasa
Why a Saharan Dust Storm is Heading is Heading for the United States – with lots of videos and data.
What is the Saharan Air Layer? – NOAA
Haboob:
The name is very odd, and your kids will find it quite hilarious. A haboob is a dust storm of massive proportions. They occur in sandy, dusty areas that have extremely dry conditions. This is a serious and intense storm that can completely envelope and cover an entire city!
Learn more about a haboob wind/dust storm at Brittanica Science.
Read about What a haboob is and dust storm safety tips from The National Weather Service
What is a Haboob? – Weather.com
How Dust Storms Work: Haboobs – How Stuff Works
Check out the Student Weather Notebook – only $9.95 (can be used for a full year of science!)
Students will use a combination of written narration, copywork, drawing and labeling alongside the book to learn all about weather, natural disasters, and meteorology.
Fire Rainbow:
Fire rainbows are a rare phenomenon that can only occur when the sun is higher than 58 degrees above the horizon. While the sun light passes through cirrus clouds that are made of ice crystals it forms a type of prism. This makes an appearance of a flashy rainbow that looks like the shape of a fire in the clouds. This is really not a rainbow that is on fire, it is a circumhorizontal arc that can only occur in optimal weather conditions.
Fire Rainbows and How they Form – IFL Science
Learn About Fire Rainbows with photographs – UCSB Geography
Fire Rainbows, what they are, how they form and great pictures – ZME Science
Check out this video to learn more about what a fire rainbow is made out of!
You may also enjoy these other FREE weather resources:
FREE Resources About Extreme Weather
Weather Themed Print and Cursive Practice
Tracking Weather with Charts and Calendars
Sarah Shelton
Sarah is a wife, daughter of the King and Mama to 4 children (two homeschool graduates) She is a an eclectic, Charlotte Mason style homeschooler that has been homeschooling for over 20 years.. She is still trying to find the balance between work and keeping a home and gardens. She can only do it by the Grace of God, coffee and green juice
