Storm Tracking

This week we got our first snow. It started off as rain, then rain mixed with snow. When the temperature dropped it turned to real snow and by the next morning the world looked different. 

Because of the ice that accompanied the storm, and the tricky driving conditions early in the morning, the storm made our local news. Nearly every TV station has a “storm tracker” weather segment where they follow snow and ice, hurricanes, blizzards and other weather events.

But you don’t have to be a weatherman to follow storms. You can keep track of the storms right where you live. All you need is your journal, a pencil, and a bunch of curiosity.

In addition to noting the date and kind of storm, here’s some other things you might want to keep track of:

• What kind of precipitation is falling out of the sky? Does it change over time? How can you tell?
• How does the temperature change over the storm event?
• What kind of clouds came before the storm and after?
• If there is precipitation, how much? And how can you measure it?
• If it’s snow or ice, what does it look like? Feel like?
• What does the storm sound like?
• What did you notice about birds or other wildlife that hang around your yard?