Scott Foresman Science, Grade 4, Leveled...

Scott Foresman Science 3.6

Genre Comprehension Skill Text Features Science Content

Nonfi ction Make Inferences • Captions

• Diagram

• Labels

• Glossary

Weather

ISBN 0-328-13824-X

ì

1. What are two qualities of air that help people describe the weather?

2. What does a barometer measure?

3. How do satellites help us predictthe weather?

4. You have now read about why it snows so much in New York State. Using words from the book, write to explain why New York State gets so much snow.

5. Make Inferences If there is a lot of traffi c on a warm day in a large city, what kind of warning do you think it would be likely for a weather reporter to give?

What did you learn?Vocabularyatmosphereblizzardhurricanetornadoweather

Picture CreditsEvery effort has been made to secure permission and provide appropriate credit for photographic material. The publisher deeply regrets any omission and pledges to correct errors called to its attention in subsequent editions.

Photo locators denoted as follows: Top (T), Center (C), Bottom (B), Left (L), Right (R), Background (Bkgd).

Opener: Digital Vision; 3 (TR) Getty Images; 5 Jim Reed/Corbis; 6 Getty Images; 7 Getty Images; 9 (TL) Getty Images, (BR) Digital Vision; 10 Getty Images; 11 Getty Images; 12 Corbis; 13 Getty Images; 14 (BL, BR) Getty Images; 15 (BL) Digital Vision, (BR) Brand X Pictures.

Scott Foresman/Dorling Kindersley would also like to thank: 4 (BR) Stephen Oliver/DK Images.

Unless otherwise acknowledged, all photographs are the copyright © of Dorling Kindersley, a division of Pearson.

ISBN: 0-328-13824-X

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form by any means, electronic,mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. For information regarding permission(s), write toPermissions Department, Scott Foresman, 1900 East Lake Avenue, Glenview, Illinois 60025.

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by Lisa Oram

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All About WeatherSome people love rainy days. Other people

prefer hot, sunny days. When we talk about rain, sun, and temperature, we are talking about weather. The weather affects us every day.

If you don’t like the weather one day, just wait. Weather always changes. Different parts of each country usually have different kinds of weather. Everywhere you go in the world, the weather is different.

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The AtmosphereWater vapor in the

atmosphere helps cause weather. The atmosphere is made of air that surrounds the Earth. This air is made of gases.

To understand the weather, we study the air in the atmosphere. Information about the air’s moisture, speed, and temperature can tell us about the weather.

The atmosphere presses down with a force called air pressure. When the air pressure changes, the weather often changes too. Low air pressure often means the weather will be cloudy or rainy. High air pressure often makes dry, clear weather.

Thunder clouds

Thin clouds

Scattered clouds

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Scientists study the weather by using special instruments. Barometers measure air pressure. Anemometers measure wind speed. Hygrometers measure water vapor in the air. These instruments help predict weather changes.

Warm, wet air has humidity. This can often make the weather rainy. Scientists use a hygrometer to measure humidity. They can also use a rain gauge while it’s raining to fi gure out the amount of rainfall.

Studying the Weather

Barometer

Anemometer

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Hygrometers, barometers, anemometers, and rain gauges are all important instruments. They provide information that is used to predict and record the weather.

Satellites tell what is happening with the weather. Satellites orbiting in space take pictures of the air as it moves over the Earth. Those pictures are sent back to Earth. The pictures are used to make weather maps. Weather maps show what kind of air is moving over the oceans and land. They tell us what kind of weather we’ll get!

Scientists study weather maps, which use information from satellites.

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Satellite pictures also help scientists track the pollution. Pollution can harm the Earth and change our weather.

Factories, cars, and airplanes cause pollution. They produce harmful gases. The gases get trapped in Earth’s atmosphere. These gases can get heated by the Sun. This changes the gases into smog and ozone. These are forms of air pollution.

Pollution and the Weather

Smoke from factory chimneys harms the atmosphere.


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Factories, cars, and trucks create smog. The smog pollutes the air over towns and cities. Too much smog makes it hard for people to breathe outdoors. When smog levels become harmful, weather reporters might issue a smog alert.

You can help to reduce air pollution by cutting down on car trips. You could also get rides in the cars of your friends. Using public transportation also reduces air pollution.

Cars produce gases that pollute our towns and cities.


Weather patterns are caused by many things. The Sun, oceans, and mountains all affect weather patterns. Some places get the same weather patterns again and again. One very typical weather pattern involves snowfall in New York State. Let’s take a look at how it works.

During the winter, New York State can get very cold. The air can’t carry much moisture when it is cold. So why does it snow so much in New York State? New York is bordered by two of the Great Lakes, Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. The other Great Lakes are Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior. Lots of water evaporates from the Great Lakes, even in winter. Air moving in from the west absorbs the evaporated water. The air absorbs so much water that it can’t hold it all. By the time the air is ready to release the water, it has moved east, over New York State. So the air releases the water, which falls as snow during the winter. That’s why it snows so much in the areas of New York State that are closest to the Great Lakes.

Patterns of Weather

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CANADA

Lake Huron

UNITED STATES

Lake Michigan

Water evaporates from the Great Lakes and is carried eastward by the wind.

In winter, water from the Great Lakes falls as snow over much of western and central New York State.

Lake Ontario

New YorkCity

Lake Superior

Lake Erie

ATLANTIC OCEAN

water vapor travels eastward

NEW YORK STATE

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Hurricanes are large storms that form over the ocean.

Stormy WeatherHurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms, and

blizzards are dangerous storms.

HurricanesA hurricane is a big storm. It forms over the

warmest parts of oceans. Heat from the warm water helps cause this storm. The center of a hurricane is called the eye. Strong winds swirl around the hurricane’s eye.

Hurricanes can cause a lot of damage. The heavy rain often causes fl ooding. Hurricane winds can blow up to 155 miles per hour. These winds can blow over buildings, power lines, and trees. If you know a hurricane is coming to your area, stay indoors.


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A tornado is also a dangerous storm. It is different from a hurricane. A tornado forms quickly and moves fast over a small area of land. Tornado winds can reach 250 miles per hour. Tornado winds are much stronger than hurricane winds, but they don’t affect as large an area.

Tornadoes are sometimes called twisters because they look like spinning towers of air. People say a tornado sounds like an airplane taking off or a train roaring down its track.

Tornadoes


Storms that cause rain, thunder, and lightning are called thunderstorms. Thunderstorms, which usually last for short periods of time, can also cause high winds and hail.

Hail is water that freezes inside large storm clouds. The hailstones become heavy and fall to the ground as chunks of ice. Hail can happen even if it is warm.

A blizzard is a dangerous winter storm. During a blizzard, temperatures drop and heavy snow falls. Strong winds blow the snow into drifts. Because of the wind and the snow, it is hard to see well. People should not drive during a blizzard. It is easy to have an accident or get lost.

Thunderstorms and Blizzards

Snowdrifts almost buried these cabins during a blizzard.

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Storms can be dangerous. People need to know how to stay safe during them.

How do people know if a dangerous storm is coming? The National Weather Service staff monitors the weather. They send announcements to radio and TV stations. If there is a storm watch, it means a storm could happen in your area. If there is a storm warning, it means a storm is on its way. When people know that a storm is coming, they can get prepared.

Staying Safe During Storms

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The seasons affect weather patterns. The weather in some seasons helps living things to grow. The weather in other seasons can hurt living things. There are many different kinds of weather, each with its own causes and effects.

Spring Summer

The Weather and You

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At fi rst you might have thought that there was little you could do about the weather. Now you know differently! By watching for National Weather Service reports, you can prepare for dangerous weather. By cutting down on car trips, you can help prevent air pollution. You can make a difference to the weather!

WinterFall

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atmosphere the air that surrounds the Earth

blizzard a winter storm with low temperatures and heavy, blowing snow

hurricane a tropical storm that forms over the ocean and causes strong winds and heavy rainfall

tornado a spinning column of air that has high wind speeds and sometimes touches the ground

weather what it is like outside

Glossary

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1. What are two qualities of air that help people describe the weather?

2. What does a barometer measure?

3. How do satellites help us predictthe weather?

4. You have now read about why it snows so much in New York State. Using words from the book, write to explain why New York State gets so much snow.

5. Make Inferences If there is a lot of traffi c on a warm day in a large city, what kind of warning do you think it would be likely for a weather reporter to give?

What did you learn?Vocabularyatmosphereblizzardhurricanetornadoweather

Picture CreditsEvery effort has been made to secure permission and provide appropriate credit for photographic material. The publisher deeply regrets any omission and pledges to correct errors called to its attention in subsequent editions.

Photo locators denoted as follows: Top (T), Center (C), Bottom (B), Left (L), Right (R), Background (Bkgd).

Opener: Digital Vision; 3 (TR) Getty Images; 5 Jim Reed/Corbis; 6 Getty Images; 7 Getty Images; 9 (TL) Getty Images, (BR) Digital Vision; 10 Getty Images; 11 Getty Images; 12 Corbis; 13 Getty Images; 14 (BL, BR) Getty Images; 15 (BL) Digital Vision, (BR) Brand X Pictures.

Scott Foresman/Dorling Kindersley would also like to thank: 4 (BR) Stephen Oliver/DK Images.

Unless otherwise acknowledged, all photographs are the copyright © of Dorling Kindersley, a division of Pearson.

ISBN: 0-328-13824-X

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form by any means, electronic,mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. For information regarding permission(s), write toPermissions Department, Scott Foresman, 1900 East Lake Avenue, Glenview, Illinois 60025.

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 V010 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05

13824_01-04_CVR_FSD.indd Cover213824_01-04_CVR_FSD.indd Cover2 5/11/05 3:38:07 PM5/11/05 3:38:07 PM

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