Copyright of Joshua Ferdon

What in the World is Weather?

By: Joshua Ferdon

What is weather you may wonder? Well, weather is the state of the atmosphere, or the outdoors, at any given time. You can see weather as rain, sunshine, or snow! Let's take a closer look at what drives everything in the world!

Weather affects our lives in a number of ways. Everyday, we choose what we're going to wear based on the weather outside! Sometimes cold and rainy days make you stay inside. Other times, the weather is warm and sunny so we go outside!

Now that we know a little bit about weather, let's view the different types of weather. Each type of weather affects us differently. Sometimes the weather is perfect, but sometimes weather can be dangerous. 

First we will look at what determines all weather on Earth, the Sun. The sun produces heat which keeps us warm. A sunny day is the calmest of all weather as it poses no severe threats. The only threat the sun may have is an occasional sunburn, so make sure to wear that sunscreen!

Our next type of weather to explore is rain. Rain falls from the sky when there are a lot of clouds that are holding moisture, or water drops. When the cloud gets too heavy, rain falls from them. Rain is good for the Earth as it provides freshwater, which we can drink. Too much rain can cause a flood, which is when rainfall piles up on the ground and has nowhere to go.

Next up on our list is snow! Snow is commonly found in colder places and can only occur if it is 32 degrees fahrenheit outside. Snow falls in the form of snowflakes and piles up after a period of snowfall. Snow can make driving dangerous and other daily things much more difficult. Snow can also be used to build things like a snowman or snowballs to throw at friends. 

Now we will begin to look at more dangerous parts of weather, like tornados! A tornado is a cloud that drops from the sky and rotates quickly, creating very high winds. In return, these winds can damage homes, schools, and other buildings if hit. 

One of the most dangerous forms of weather is a flood. Floods can occur quickly when there is an extra amount of water present and it has nowhere to go. With water being so damaging, this can ruin homes and cars in a matter of minutes.