The Unofficial Student Activity for
Bob Ryan's 2000 Almanac & Guide for the Weatherwise

by Walter Sanford
Planetarium Teacher, Sandburg Center for Sky Awareness
Fairfax County Public Schools

(Teacher's Answer Key available upon request.)

By completing this activity, you will become more familiar with weather in general, and Washington, D.C. weather in particular. You will also learn about how the weather in Washington, D.C. compares with the weather in other parts of the United States and the world.

Sources of Weather Information

  1. What is the Internet address (also known as the Uniform Resource Locator or URL) for WeatherNet4?

  2. What are the URLs for the following National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Web sites?
    1. National Weather Service (NWS) [Note: This information also appears in The National Weather Service of the 21st Century, the feature article by John J. Kelly, Director, NWS, pp. 54-55.]

    2. National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)

Weather Terms

Personal Almanac Data

Temperature & Precipitation - What's Average
and What's Unusual?

  1. In the following data table, record the duration of insolation (number of hours of daylight) in Washington, D.C. for the 21st of each month. To calculate the number of hours of daylight, subtract the time of sunrise from the time of sunset. [Hint: Before subtracting, times should be expressed in 24-hour format. Be careful--times are tricky to subtract!] Construct a line graph.

    Data Table - Duration of Insolation

    Month | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC 
------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----
# Hrs |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |

    Line Graph: Duration of Insolation & Average High Temperature
    Washington, D.C.

    H  16 --|
O      -|
U  15 --|
R      -|
S  14 --|                                               |-- 90  T
       -|                                               |-      E
D  13 --|                                               |-- 80  M
A      -|                                               |-      P
Y  12 --|                                               |-- 70  E
L      -|                                               |-      R
I  11 --|                                               |-- 60  A
G      -|                                               |-      T
H  10 --|                                               |-- 50  U
T      -|                                               |-      R
   09 --|-----------------------------------------------|-- 40  E
        | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
                          MONTHS OF YEAR

  2. In the data table below, record the average high temperature in Washington, D.C. for the 21st of each month. Construct a line graph (using the graph in Question #1, Temperature & Precipitation - What's Average and What's Unusual).

    Data Table - Average High Temperature

    Month | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC
------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----
Temp. |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |

  3. In Washington, D.C., on average, which month is the COLDEST? The HOTTEST?

  4. Refer to the preceding graph of hours of daylight and temperature versus time. In general, what is the relationship between number of hours of daylight and average high temperature?

  5. When/where/what was the lowest temperature ever recorded in the contiguous United States? [Hint: This record-setting temperature was observed during the average coldest month of the year in Washington, D.C.]

  6. What are the world's records for temperature extremes?

    Temperature Extreme Temp. (°F) World Location
    Highest

    Lowest

  7. In Washington, D.C., on average, during which month does the MOST precipitation (average rain) fall?

  8. Calculate the total ANNUAL precipitation (rain) in Washington, D.C. by adding the monthly average rain amounts.

  9. Which U.S. city (among those cities listed in the almanac) receives the LEAST average annual precipitation?

  10. Which U.S. city (among those cities listed in the almanac) receives the MOST average annual precipitation?

Washington's Weather Records of the 20th Century

Washington Winters

  1. For each month listed in the following data table, record the average snowfall for Washington, D.C. Construct a bar graph. [Note: "Trace" equals less than .1 inch.]

    Data Table - Average Monthly Snowfall

    Month    | OCT | NOV | DEC | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR |
---------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
Snowfall |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |

    Bar Graph: Average Snowfall - Washington, D.C.

       7"--|                                          
      -|                                          
S  6"--|                                          
N     -|                                          
O  5"--|                                          
W     -|                                          
   4"--|                                          
A     -|                                          
M  3"--|                                          
O     -|                                          
U  2"--|                                          
N     -|                                          
T  1"--|                                          
      -|                                          
   0"--|------------------------------------------
Months | OCT | NOV | DEC | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR |

  2. On average, during which month does the MOST snowfall occur in Washington, D.C.?

  3. To determine the total ANNUAL snowfall in Washington, D.C., add the monthly average snowfall amounts (from the data table in Question #1, Washington Winters).

  4. List the name/date/snowfall amount for the GREATEST recorded snowstorm in Washington, D.C. [Hint: This event is listed under "Strange Weather, Events, and Happenings" for January, or refer to the feature article on page 8, Washington's Weather Records of the 20th Century.]

  5. At Dulles Airport (IAD) in suburban Washington, D.C., the Winter of 1996 was the snowiest ever recorded. What was the total annual snowfall? [Hint: This information is listed under "Strange Weather, Events, and Happenings" for March.] Contrast this amount with the "snowiest winter" at Washington National Airport (DCA). [Hint: Refer to Washington's Weather Records of the 20th Century.]

  6. For the following U.S. cities, list the total ANNUAL snowfall.

    Location Annual Snowfall (in.)
    Buffalo, NY
    Dallas, TX
    Kansas City, MO
    San Francisco, CA

  7. If we assume that 1 inch of liquid precipitation equals approximately 10 inches of snow, then what percentage of the total annual precipitation in Washington, D.C. (refer to Question #8, Temperature & Precipitation - What's Average and What's Unusual?) falls as snow? [Hint: To solve this problem, the first step is to convert the total annual snowfall (refer to Question #3, Washington Winters) to its liquid equivalent.]

Living La Nina Winter
by Bob Ryan

  1. What is the literal translation of "La Nina?"

  2. ENSO is an acronym (a word formed from the initial letter or letters of other words); for what does it stand?

    1. What is the name for the warm phase of ENSO?

    2. What is the name for the cold phase of ENSO?

  3. What is Bob Ryan's long-range forecast for La Nina's effects on the '99-'00 winter weather in the Mid-Atlantic states?

  4. On 11 March 1999, it snowed 8" in Washington, D.C. How many times has it ever snowed 6" or more in Washington, D.C. during a La Nina winter?

  5. What is the likely impact of La Nina upon the 2000 hurricane season?

The Weather and Wildlife: Spring Peepers' Awakening
by Clarence Hickey, Marine Biologist

  1. What are Spring Peepers?

  2. During late Fall and Winter, where do spring peepers hibernate?

  3. As amphibians, what kind of environment is required for peeper reproduction?

  4. The chorus of the peepers' song is one of the true signs of Spring. In the Washington, D.C. area, when do peepers usually awaken from hibernation?

The Year Without Summer
by Bob Ryan

  1. In 1816, how many states were in the United States?

  2. The unusually cold Summer of 1816 was most likely caused by three major volcano eruptions between 1812 and 1815. In the following table, list the name and location of those three volcanoes. On the world map (lower right), plot the approximate location of each volcano. [Hint: One of the volcanoes is located in the Caribbean; the other two are located in Asia. Refer to an atlas of the world, or visit XPEDITIONS, the National Geographic Society e-Atlas.]

    Volcano Name Location






  3. How does dust and ash high in the Earth's atmosphere cool the Earth's surface?

  4. Approximately how many years did it take for dust from the recent Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines to settle out of the Earth's atmosphere?

Washington Summers

  1. On average, during which two months do we have the GREATEST number of thunderstorms in Washington, D.C.?

  2. Tornadoes are spawned by severe thunderstorms. Tornado intensity is measured using the Fujita scale: F0 is the weakest; F5 is the most intense. What is the strongest tornado to strike the DC/MD/VA region? [Hint: Refer to A Weather Nightmare: F5 Tornado Strikes Oklahoma City, the feature article by Dr. Joe Golden, NOAA/Forecast Systems Lab, pp. 30-31.]

  3. Tropical storms with organized circulation and wind speeds greater than 39 mph are named. Names beginning with the letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z are not used. Why?

  4. In 2000, what will be the FIRST named Atlantic hurricane?

  5. Define the following terms:
  6. On 13 SEP 1999, Hurricane Floyd reached a wind speed of 153 mph (making it one of the 10 most powerful hurricanes to make landfall in the United States). On that date, what was its approximate latitude and longitude?

  7. If a strong hurricane is currently located at 35°N latitude, 71°W longitude and moving northwest at 10 miles per hour, then a hurricane watch would be most likely in effect for which east coast United States cities? [Hint: The scale of the map can be approximated by knowing that 1 degree of latitude equals nearly 70 miles, 5 degrees = 350 miles, etc. Ignore the fact that the value of one degree of latitude is slightly greater at the top of the map than at the bottom, due to the map projection used for the News 4 Hurricane Tracking Chart.]

  8. In a hurricane, what is the "STORM SURGE?"

Why Forecasting the Track of Hurricanes
Can Sometimes Drive Forecasters Nuts

  1. What is the source of power (energy) for hurricanes?

  2. Because of hurricane forecast uncertainty, more people will be forced to evacuate coastal areas than appears to have been necessary after the storm has passed. What is the potential danger this creates during the next storm event?

The Great Drought of '99
by Douglas Le Comte, National Weather Service

  1. Compare the estimated losses (in dollars) for Hurricane Andrew (1992) and the 1988 drought.

  2. In the southeastern United States, tropical storms are often drought-busters. List the names of the two tropical storms which ended the 1999 drought in the mid-Atlantic states.

The Imagery in Satellite Imagery
by H. Michael Mogil

  1. Explain the difference between polar-orbiting and geostationary weather satellites.

  2. Clouds form as air rises and evaporate as air sinks. Use this fact to explain why High Pressure systems (Highs) are usually associated with fair weather and clear skies, and Low Pressure systems (Lows) are usually associated with cloudy skies and a chance of precipitation.

Sky Awareness (including The Night Sky in 2000)

  1. For the MONTH IN WHICH YOU WERE BORN (e.g., August), list THREE astronomical phenomena that you may observe in the night sky in 2000.

    MONTH ____________________



  2. Remember the mnemonic, Spring forward; Fall back? List the dates when Daylight Saving Time begins and ends. [Hint: Refer to the almanac for the months of April and October.]

  3. List the name (and date) of the two major meteor showers (a "shower" of "shooting stars") which occur annually during the months of November and December.

  4. Aphelion is the point on the Earth's orbit around the Sun at which the Earth-Sun distance is greatest. During the year 2000, when is the Earth at aphelion? [Hint: Contrary to logic, this event occurs during the Summer month of July.]

  5. List the date and time of the partial solar eclipse (about 50% of the Sun's disk will be covered by the Moon) which will be visible from the Washington, D.C. area in the year 2000. What is the phase of the Moon during a solar eclipse? [Note: Never look directly at the Sun--blindness may result!]

  6. List the date and time of the total lunar eclipse which occurs in January 2000.

  7. The Moon appears to change shape in a predictable cycle. For the month of FEBRUARY, record the dates of the phases of the moon.

  8. In the year 2000, how many days are there in the month of February? What do we call a year in which February has more than 28 days?

  9. Every year, Easter occurs on the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after the March (or Spring) Equinox.
    1. What date is the March Equinox?

    2. On what date is the NEXT Full Moon AFTER the March Equinox?

    3. What date is Easter Sunday? (If necessary, refer to a calendar.)

  10. What is astronomically significant about June 20th, 2000 at 9:48 p.m.?

  11. If the distance around the Capital Beltway (I-495/95) is 66 miles, and the distance to the moon is approximately 240,000 miles, then how many times would you have to go around the Beltway to "travel" to the moon?

  12. Most days, how many high tides occur? Approximately how many hours apart?

  13. Most days, how many low tides occur? Approximately how many hours apart?

  14. Approximately how many hours pass between one high tide and the next low tide?

  15. The greatest tidal range (difference between high and low tide) occurs during the New and Full Moon phases. For the month of May, on which dates will the tidal range be greatest?

  16. Assume that you would like to go fossil shark tooth collecting along the Potomac River near Colonial Beach, VA, and you know that the best time to go collecting is during low tide. Use the "Tide Correction Table" on page 2 of the almanac to find the best times to go collecting on 4 July 2000. There are two times; logically, which time is better for shark tooth collecting?

The National Weather Service of the 21st Century
by John J. Kelly, Jr., Director, National Weather Service

  1. "The United States experiences more severe storms and flooding than any other country in the world." Complete the following table showing the average number of hazardous weather events which occur annually in the United States.

    Weather Event Annual Number
    Violent Thunderstorms
    Floods
    Tornadoes
    Hurricanes

  2. What percentage of all presidentially declared disasters are weather- and flood-related?

  3. National Weather Service (NWS) modernization has dramatically increased the lead-time for weather warnings.
    1. What is the average lead-time for tornado warnings?

    2. What is the average lead-time for flood warnings?

  4. What is the approximate cost (per person, per year) for the NWS to issue weather forecasts and river & flood forecasts?

  5. In 1993, what was the accuracy (in miles) of forecasting hurricane landfall?

Is it Really the Millenium?
by Bob Ryan

  1. Who is credited with numbering our calendar beginning with the number one?

  2. When does the 20th century (as well as the current millenium) really end?

Copyright © 2000-2010 by Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
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