Weather The condition of the atmosphere at a certain time & place.

Climate Average weather condition of an area over a long period of time Includes precipitation & temperature

Climatograms that show climate for Powder Springs, GA

The sun powers the water cycle. Clouds form through the process of condensation.

Humidity Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. It feels hotter than the actual temperature when it’s humid because the body can’t sweat properly. It would be very humid in areas closer to the equator and coastal regions.

As air gets warmer, the amount of water vapor that the air can hold increases.

Cloud Formation Warm air rises It cools Air become saturated Water vapor changes to a liquid or solid depending on the temperature

Types of Clouds Cumulus Puffy white clouds that tend to have flat bottoms Cumulonimbus Larger cumulus clouds that produce thunderstorms

Stratus Cloud Clouds that form in layers over large areas of the sky and often block the sun Fog Stratus clouds that forms near the ground

Cirrus Thin feathery white clouds found at high altitudes.

Precipitation Water in solid or liquid form that falls from the air to the earth.

Rain Most common form of precipitation Water drops become a larger size and fall down to earth

Sleet Rain falls through a layer of freezing air and freezes before coming down to the earth.

Snow Temperatures are so cold that water vapor changes directly to a solid.

Hail Balls or lumps of ice that fall from clouds (cumulonimbus clouds) Raindrops are carried in updrafts and freeze As it falls, water drops coat it and it can go up and back down refreezing and getting larger When it becomes too large, it falls out of the atmosphere