WIND PATTERNS!

Hi guys,

One of the questions last week was related to this wind map of the US, and I got lots of really thoughtful answers about why certain areas were, well, windier than others. As I am posting right now, the strongest winds are moving northeastward across Southern California and Texas, as well as north-eastward and south-eastward across most of the Great Lakes Region. These are also the areas that were seeing the most wind "action" whenever kids were checking last week. Why is that?

Here are your questions for the week to help you think about that:

1. What are those white areas beside Chicago, below Texas and the other "deep south" states and to the west of California? What do those areas have in common?

2. What area or areas have the strongest winds right now and how many mph are the winds moving?

Check out this link: Weather Whiz Kids: Wind

3. Using the Beaufort Scale on the Weather Whiz Kids page, what ratings would the winds in your #2 answer have? What does this tell you about the wind in that area right now?

4. What is a sea breeze?

5. What is a land breeze?

6. What is the jet stream?

7. What are your thoughts now on why the wind is stronger in some places than others?

Please email me your answers this week, like you did last week (sylvan.taylor@gmail.com). Don't forget to use complete, detailed sentences!!

Stay tuned tomorrow for an update on our turtles...