Predicting Weather

 Predi cting weather

 By observing how the sky is and how the clouds look like, we can predict what type of weather to expect. Clouds are in fact the most reliable predictors of weather. But first we have to know what types of clouds there are.



 High Clouds 

 Cirrus Clouds

 Cirrus clouds  are thin, wispy clouds blown by high winds into long streamers. They can appear in a variety of shapes. They are formed about 6000m above sea level. The kind of weather these clouds give, is approaching front and stormy weather.

 Cirrostratus clouds  are thin, sheet-like high clouds that often cover the entire sky. These clouds are so thin that you can see sunlight through them. Their presence usually indicates moist weather within the next 12-24 hours.

 Cirrocumulus clouds  appear as small rounded, white puffs. They can either be isolated or in long rows. The small ripples in the cirrocumulus sometimes resemble the scales of a fish. These clouds indicate fair but cold weather. However, in the tropics, these clouds may indicate an approaching tropical storm or hurricane (depending on the season).

 Middle Clouds 

 “Alto” Clouds

 Altocumulus clouds  are middle level clouds that are made of water droplets and appear as grey, puffy masses. They usually occur after a storm. Sun does not pass through them. The appearance of these clouds on a warm, humid summer morning often means thunderstorms may occur by late afternoon.

 Altostratus clouds  form a greyish veil over the sun or moon. These clouds are composed of ice crystals and water droplets. In the thinner areas of the cloud, the sun may be dimly visible as a round disk. They tend to indicate storms, which will produce continuous precipitation.

 Lower Clouds 

 Stratus Clouds

 Stratus clouds  are low-lying solid clouds that are often formed when fog lifts off the ground. They resemble fog that does not reach the ground. They often bring drizzle or white snow.

 Nimbostratus clouds  are your standard rain clouds. It is a large flat sheet of grey cloud with a little bit of differentiation. They often produce precipitation that is usually light to moderate.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> Cold and warm fronts 

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"AppleSymbols"; color:#262626;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">“A cold front will be associated with a warm front, with a low pressure  <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"AppleSymbols"; color:#262626;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">center, connecting them. This frontal "system" can be thought of as separating a cold air mass from a warm air mass, and the two different types of fronts simply indicate which direction those portions of the different air masses are moving. “

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">''' What type of weather would normally occur in an area with high pressure? '''

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> When high pressure occurs the air in the high cools become denser and moves towards the ground. Pressure increases here because more air fills the space left from the low. Subsidence also evaporates most of the atmosphere's water vapor so high pressure systems are usually associated with clear skies and calm weather.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> When it is high pressure six different types of weather normally occurs;

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> 1The weather is usually warm and clear in the summer and cold weather to the winter moths.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> 2.Winds blow away from a high pressure zone.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> 3. Alot of the clouds in the air will dissipate.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> 4. Due to the Coriolis effect, winds in a high pressure zone blow clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> 5.The weather is drier.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> 6.Reduced air quality.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">''' Why is Norway relatively warm, although it is in the polar circle? '''

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> The Gulf Stream effects Norway´s climate.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> “The Gulf Stream is a warm and powerful ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows along the east coast of North America before crossing the Atlantic Ocean. There it splits in two—the North Atlantic Drift heads past the British Isles up the coast of Norway and

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> the Canary Current turns toward the horn of Africa. “

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">''' Why does it rain more on the west coast of Norway, compared to the East? '''

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> Moist air coming for example from the west and is pushed up the mountains. It forms then clouds and when the air becomes saturated, there will be rain. When the air coming over the mountains it is often drier and it becomes a kind of shadow of the rain.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">''' How come Siberia so cold? '''

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> Siberia is in the “Cold Pole” in the Northern Hemisphere. Which is a place where the lowest temperature on earth are recorded.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> By 

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">' Christina M. Ditmansen and Tiril Sandbu Numme . '

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> Sources:

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> http://www.rd.com/slideshows/how-to-predict-the-weather/

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> http://sectionhiker.com/predicting-the-weather-using-clouds/

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> http://eo.ucar.edu/webweather/cloud3.html

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> http://www.instructables.com/id/Predicting-Weather-with-Clouds/

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> http://eo.ucar.edu/webweather/cirrus.html

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> http://eo.ucar.edu/webweather/alto.html <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"AppleSymbols";color:#0563C1;mso-themecolor: hyperlink;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> http://www.weatherquestions.com/What_are_fronts.htm

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> http://geography.about.com/od/climate/a/highlowpressure.htm

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> http://weather.about.com/od/pressureandtemperature/a/high_pressure.htm

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> http://www.switchbacktravel.com/norway/weather-gulf-stream-when-to-go

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> http://www.weatherquestions.com/What_are_fronts.htm

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> http://geography.about.com/od/climate/a/highlowpressure.htm

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> http://weather.about.com/od/pressureandtemperature/a/high_pressure.htm

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"> http://www.switchbacktravel.com/norway/weather-gulf-stream-when-to-go