somoutreach

Severe Weather

General Definition and Importance

Severe weather can be in many forms, including thunderstorms, winter weather, and hurricanes all over the world. Each type of severe weather phenomena can create its own associated hazards, such as lightning, flooding, tornadoes, and hail. These hazards can impact people, transportation, animals, and buildings. Climate change can also increase severe weather chances, so being weather aware now will help in the future. Meteorologists forecast severe weather ahead of time by using watches and warnings, which help us to stay safe and informed when severe weather is coming. While the formation of severe weather can be complicated there are experiments that can be done in the classroom to highlight the basics of the phenomena and hazards that can impact our day to day lives. Below are some activities that will dive deeper into the topic of Severe Weather.

Key Concepts

Oklahoma State Standards

We found that understanding Earth’s climate is relevant to meeting the 2020 Oklahoma Academic Standards below:

K.ESS3.2 Ask questions to understand the purpose of weather forecasting to prepare for and respond to severe weather.
  • Some kinds of severe weather are more likely than others in a given region.
  • Weather scientists forecast severe weather so that the communities can prepare for and respond to these events.
  • People depend on various technologies in their lives; human life would be very different without technology.
  • People encounter questions about the natural world every day.
3.ESS3.1 Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard.
  • A variety of natural hazards result from natural processes.
  • Humans cannot eliminate natural hazards but can take steps toreduce their impact.
  • Engineers improve existing technologies or develop new ones to increase their benefits (e.g., better artificial limbs), decrease known risks (e.g., seatbelts in cars), and meet societal demands (e.g., cell phones).
6.ESS3.2 Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.
  • Mapping the history of natural hazards in a region, combined with an understanding of related geologic forces, can help forecast the locations and likelihoods of future events.