Activities

1. Describe stratus clouds.
   
   
2. Describe cirrus clouds.
   
   
3. Describe cumulus clouds.
   
   
4. What is the jet stream? How does it affect the North America?
   
   
5. How does barometric pressure affect weather patterns?
   
   
6. Lake effect snow is a storm related to wind direction and cloud formation. Describe the formation of these storms. Give an example of a location in the United States affected by this.
   
   
7. Discuss how winds affect temperatures near oceans and lakes. Give an example of a location affected by this pattern in the United States.

Answer Key/Rubric

1. Stratus clouds are low-forming, layered clouds that are grey in color. They usually generate precipitation.
   
   
2. Cirrus clouds are white, high-altitude clouds that look thin and wispy. Cirrus clouds bring pleasant weather.
   
   
3. Cumulus clouds are white, fluffy clouds.  In this form, they do not bring precipitation.

4. Acceptable answers include, but are not limited to:
   A jet stream is a narrow belt of high speed winds that moves from west to east in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere.  The jet stream can move cold, artic air more southward that it typically does, as far down as Kentucky. In the summer can pull warm, tropical air more northward, up into Canada.

5. Acceptable answers include, but are not limited to:
   Barometric pressure is classified as high pressure or low pressure systems.  High pressure systems involve a mass of swirling cool, dry air moving in a clockwise direction and sinking.  These systems usually bring sunny skies.  In contrast, low pressure systems bring clouds and stormy weather. In low pressure systems, air is rising. As the air rises and cools, it condenses to form clouds. 

6. Acceptable answers include, but are not limited to:
   Lake effect snow occurs when a cold air mass moves over warmer lake water.  The extreme temperature difference causes the air closest to the water to warm up. This warmer air mass picks up moisture in the form of water vapor. This water vapor rises into the cooler air above, causing precipitation in the form of snow to be deposited.
   Examples include, but are not limited to:
   The Great Lakes region of the United States. As cold air masses move across the warmer lakes, areas to the east generally are affected by lake effect snow, such as Buffalo, NY.

7. Acceptable answers include, but are not limited to:
   The coolness near oceans is related to local winds that generate in regions near ocean or ocean. During the day, temperatures in the inland areas are warmer than the temperatures along the coast.  The cooler air generated from the breeze replaces the rising, warm air.
   Locations may include, but are not limited to:

• Great Lakes region
• Pacific coast
• Gulf coast
• Atlantic coast