â¹ï¸âï¸ Oct. 2 - Gym class: What can ice skaters tell us about hurricanes?
The strongest winds on Earth are typically found in tornadoes, hurricanes or even at the top of high mountains. Can you imagine wind speeds of 215 mph? That’s how fast the winds were in extremely powerful Hurricane Patricia in 2015 – the highest in any hurricane in the Atlantic or eastern Pacific oceans! Don’t forget the speed limit on most highways is either 65 or 70 mph.
Sept. 10 is the peak of hurricane season, but the most intense hurricane ever in the Atlantic happened in October – Hurricane Wilma. Have you heard of stories of Superstorm Sandy? That monster storm that even let some kids build snowmen spun up in late October.
If you live along the coast where hurricanes pose a danger in the summer, don’t let your guard down just because the calendar has switched to October!
ð³ Sept. 29 - Cooking class: Can you melt butter in a car, even though it’s fall?
If you joined us for AccuWeather Summer Camp, you may remember how we melted a stick of butter using nothing but a hot car in 30 minutes. That experiment was done in June, when it is normal for the sun to bake the inside of cars. Now that it is fall, do you think we can get the same results? Let’s find out:
It took a little longer than when we did this experiment in June, but the point is the same: Never underestimate the power of the sun. Even in the fall on comfortably warm days, cars can become dangerously hot when the windows are up.
On another sunny day this fall, let’s plan to try to use the sun to bake chocolate chip cookies in our cars – that worked over the summer!
ð Sept. 29 - Pop quiz! Is frost frozen dew?
If you walk through the grass on an early morning summer day, your shoes may get wet from dew. Fast-forward to when the nights start getting colder: Dew is replaced by frost.
Frost forms under the same weather conditions as dew, except that temperatures have to be at or below freezing – so it makes sense that some people may think that frost is frozen dew, but that is the wrong answer on this pop quiz:
Frost is not frozen dew, just like snow is not frozen rain (and freezing rain is real and can make your driveway and sidewalks very slippery!).
If there is something similar to freezing dew, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said that it would be rime ice.
Thumbnail image provided by AccuWeather Meteorologist Danielle Knittle.
ð Sept. 25 - History Class: Why do hurricanes never seem to threaten California?
There are beaches along the West Coast of the United States, but why do you never see hurricanes hit California as they do Florida, North Carolina or any states along the Gulf of Mexico or East Coast? The answer lies in the ocean.
This image, captured on Wednesday, Aug.19, 2020, shows Genevieve spinning just south of the southern tip of Baja California Sur, Mexico. (NOAA/GOES-West). Hurricanes frequently threaten Mexico, but dramatically weaken over the cooler water near California if they track northward.
It’s not just cool water that is the kryptonite for hurricanes, but also strong winds high above our heads. This weather phenomenon is called wind shear, and something as simple as birthday candles can help us understand why wind shear can put the brakes on a hurricane from forming and becoming a monster storm.
â ï¸ Sept. 25 - Cloud scavenger hunt: Funnel cloud imposters in the sky!
Photo by AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski
Actually, these scary-looking clouds are harmless and have a funny name. Let’s find out more, as well as what the wall of rain that you may have seen sweeping toward your house is called:
ð Sept. 22 - AP class: The sun rarely rises due east or sets due west
The next time you see sunrise or sunset, pay close attention to where the sun is on the horizon – you will notice that it changes throughout the year. Also, grab your compass. It may surprise you that the sun doesn’t rise directly to the east and set directly to the west unless it’s the equinox (which Sept. 22 is). Let’s find out more:
ð Sept. 22 - Homework: Try balancing an egg on its end
It’s officially fall in the Northern Hemisphere (and spring in the Southern Hemisphere) as the equinox occurred on Sept. 22 at 9:30 a.m. EDT. What’s the equinox? That’s when the sun’s rays are aimed directly at the equator.
Around the equinox, which also happens around March 20-22 when spring starts in the Northern Hemisphere, the hours of daylight and darkness are about the same. Also, the sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west.
OK, back to your homework, why are we asking you to try and balance an egg on its end? Some people believe that the gravitational pull placed on the eggon the equinox allows it to remain upright throughout the day.
To complete your homework whether it’s the first day of fall or a month from now, you just need a lot of patience, concentration and a really solid surface (and permission from your parents in case you make a mess!).
It may be fall in the Northern Hemisphere, but don’t let your guard down for lightning – back on Sept. 19, 1992, a football player in Maryland was struck by lightning! Listen to the AccuWeather This Date in Weather History podcast to hear how the bolt of lightning smashed his helmet, but he wasn’t seriously hurt – talk about good luck!
Math class time – that leaves nearly 30 percent for the rest of the year. Thunderstorms rumble and scare us the most during the summer, but always run indoors as soon as you hear thunder anytime of the year!
Additional experiments and reporting by Jason Nicholls.
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News / AccuWeather Ready
AccuWeather School Fall Semester: Weeks 4-5
By Kristina Pydynowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated Nov 22, 2020 3:55 PM EDT
â¹ï¸âï¸ Oct. 2 - Gym class: What can ice skaters tell us about hurricanes?
The strongest winds on Earth are typically found in tornadoes, hurricanes or even at the top of high mountains. Can you imagine wind speeds of 215 mph? That’s how fast the winds were in extremely powerful Hurricane Patricia in 2015 – the highest in any hurricane in the Atlantic or eastern Pacific oceans! Don’t forget the speed limit on most highways is either 65 or 70 mph.
So, what can ice skaters tell us about hurricanes? Think about the times when you’ve seen ice skaters twirl really fast – that’s a clue to how hurricanes can spin up really strong winds. Let’s find out more:
ð Oct. 2 - History Class: It’s fall, how can it be hurricane season still?
October is a time for looking at the pretty fall colors, drinking warm apple cider and carving pumpkins – but did you know that there are still two more months of hurricane season? That’s right, the end of hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin isn’t until Nov. 30.
Wait a minute – warm water is a fuel for hurricanes, and summer is the time to go swimming. So, how did Hurricane Michael become one of only four Category 5 hurricanes to strike the mainland United States in October? Let’s find out:
Sept. 10 is the peak of hurricane season, but the most intense hurricane ever in the Atlantic happened in October – Hurricane Wilma. Have you heard of stories of Superstorm Sandy? That monster storm that even let some kids build snowmen spun up in late October.
If you live along the coast where hurricanes pose a danger in the summer, don’t let your guard down just because the calendar has switched to October!
ð³ Sept. 29 - Cooking class: Can you melt butter in a car, even though it’s fall?
If you joined us for AccuWeather Summer Camp, you may remember how we melted a stick of butter using nothing but a hot car in 30 minutes. That experiment was done in June, when it is normal for the sun to bake the inside of cars. Now that it is fall, do you think we can get the same results? Let’s find out:
It took a little longer than when we did this experiment in June, but the point is the same: Never underestimate the power of the sun. Even in the fall on comfortably warm days, cars can become dangerously hot when the windows are up.
The sun’s rays are able to get inside a car but cannot get out – causing it to heat up like a greenhouse. So remember to never let your parents leave you, a sibling or your pet in a car without the AC on, even for a short run into the store.
On another sunny day this fall, let’s plan to try to use the sun to bake chocolate chip cookies in our cars – that worked over the summer!
ð Sept. 29 - Pop quiz! Is frost frozen dew?
If you walk through the grass on an early morning summer day, your shoes may get wet from dew. Fast-forward to when the nights start getting colder: Dew is replaced by frost.
Frost forms under the same weather conditions as dew, except that temperatures have to be at or below freezing – so it makes sense that some people may think that frost is frozen dew, but that is the wrong answer on this pop quiz:
Frost is not frozen dew, just like snow is not frozen rain (and freezing rain is real and can make your driveway and sidewalks very slippery!).
If there is something similar to freezing dew, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said that it would be rime ice.
Thumbnail image provided by AccuWeather Meteorologist Danielle Knittle.
ð Sept. 25 - History Class: Why do hurricanes never seem to threaten California?
There are beaches along the West Coast of the United States, but why do you never see hurricanes hit California as they do Florida, North Carolina or any states along the Gulf of Mexico or East Coast? The answer lies in the ocean.
While water has no trouble getting warm enough for a hurricane to form in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore of the East Coast, it’s a different story along the West Coast. The Pacific Ocean along the coast of Southern California typically doesn’t get any higher than 70 F (21 C) – so that sort of acts like a force-field that protects California from getting hit by a hurricane.
This image, captured on Wednesday, Aug.19, 2020, shows Genevieve spinning just south of the southern tip of Baja California Sur, Mexico. (NOAA/GOES-West). Hurricanes frequently threaten Mexico, but dramatically weaken over the cooler water near California if they track northward.
However, one hurricane overcame the ocean’s force-field and came very close to San Diego way back in early October 1858, and there is only one time in history when a tropical storm made landfall in Southern California – in September 1939.
It’s not just cool water that is the kryptonite for hurricanes, but also strong winds high above our heads. This weather phenomenon is called wind shear, and something as simple as birthday candles can help us understand why wind shear can put the brakes on a hurricane from forming and becoming a monster storm.
â ï¸ Sept. 25 - Cloud scavenger hunt: Funnel cloud imposters in the sky!
Look at the photo below. Does that look like it could be a funnel cloud, which may touch down and become a tornado?
Photo by AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski
Actually, these scary-looking clouds are harmless and have a funny name. Let’s find out more, as well as what the wall of rain that you may have seen sweeping toward your house is called:
ð Sept. 22 - AP class: The sun rarely rises due east or sets due west
Many people love to watch the sun rise and set – if there are clouds overhead, or even smoke or dust in the sky, you can get some really pretty photos!
The next time you see sunrise or sunset, pay close attention to where the sun is on the horizon – you will notice that it changes throughout the year. Also, grab your compass. It may surprise you that the sun doesn’t rise directly to the east and set directly to the west unless it’s the equinox (which Sept. 22 is). Let’s find out more:
In between sunrise and sunset, watch your shadow: it will also grow between now and the first day of winter (if you live in the Northern Hemisphere):
ð Sept. 22 - Homework: Try balancing an egg on its end
It’s officially fall in the Northern Hemisphere (and spring in the Southern Hemisphere) as the equinox occurred on Sept. 22 at 9:30 a.m. EDT. What’s the equinox? That’s when the sun’s rays are aimed directly at the equator.
Around the equinox, which also happens around March 20-22 when spring starts in the Northern Hemisphere, the hours of daylight and darkness are about the same. Also, the sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west.
OK, back to your homework, why are we asking you to try and balance an egg on its end? Some people believe that the gravitational pull placed on the egg on the equinox allows it to remain upright throughout the day.
“That’s not true,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Samuhel. “You can get lucky and balance an egg anytime. It has nothing to do with the equinox.”
To complete your homework whether it’s the first day of fall or a month from now, you just need a lot of patience, concentration and a really solid surface (and permission from your parents in case you make a mess!).
â¡ Sept. 22 - Shocking Truth: Summer’s over, but lightning dangers aren’t
It may be fall in the Northern Hemisphere, but don’t let your guard down for lightning – back on Sept. 19, 1992, a football player in Maryland was struck by lightning! Listen to the AccuWeather This Date in Weather History podcast to hear how the bolt of lightning smashed his helmet, but he wasn’t seriously hurt – talk about good luck!
Summer is the time of the year when most people get struck and killed by lightning – AccuWeather School substitute teacher, Lightning Safety Specialist John S. Jensenius, Jr., said that more than 70 percent of lightning deaths happen in June, July and August.
Math class time – that leaves nearly 30 percent for the rest of the year. Thunderstorms rumble and scare us the most during the summer, but always run indoors as soon as you hear thunder anytime of the year!
Additional experiments and reporting by Jason Nicholls.
Previously:
AccuWeather School Fall Semester: Weeks 2-3
AccuWeather School Fall Semester: Week 1
AccuWeather Summer Camp: Week 13
AccuWeather Summer Camp: Week 12
AccuWeather Summer Camp: Week 11
AccuWeather Summer Camp: Week 10
AccuWeather Summer Camp: Week 9
AccuWeather Summer Camp: Week 8
AccuWeather Summer Camp: Week 7
AccuWeather Summer Camp: Week 6
AccuWeather Summer Camp: Week 5
AccuWeather Summer Camp: Week 4
AccuWeather Summer Camp: Week 3
AccuWeather Summer Camp: Week 2
AccuWeather Summer Camp: Week 1
AccuWeather School: Week 1
AccuWeather School: Week 2
AccuWeather School: Week 3
AccuWeather School: Week 4
AccuWeather School: Week 5
AccuWeather School: Week 6
AccuWeather School: Week 7
AccuWeather School: Week 8
AccuWeather School: Week 9