OSU Science Stay Behind Work Worksheet
OSU Science Stay Behind Work
Name:
Date:
Active Reading Directions
- Read: Notice how ice forms.
- Annotate: Underline main ideas.
- Analyze: Look for wind.
Hail, Snow, and Sleet
When you look at the sky, you might see precipitation. Most people think of rain, but water can fall from the sky in other ways too. To make a cloud, water on the ground must turn into a gas. This is called evaporation. As the gas rises, it cools down and turns back into liquid droplets. This is called condensation.
Temperature is the most important part of weather. If the air is very cold (below 32°F), water vapor can turn into tiny ice crystals. These crystals stick together to make snow. If the air stays cold all the way to the ground, we get a snowy day!
"Did you know? Hail usually falls during warm weather storms, while sleet and snow usually fall in the winter."
Hail is different. It forms inside tall clouds during big storms. It starts as a raindrop, but strong wind blows the drop way up high where the air is freezing. The drop freezes into a ball of ice. The wind might toss it up and down many times, adding more layers of ice. Finally, it gets too heavy and falls to Earth.
Sleet is like a mix of rain and snow. It happens when snow falls through a warm layer of air and melts into rain. Then, it falls through a very cold layer of air near the ground. It freezes again into tiny ice pellets that bounce when they hit the ground. Weather scientists look at these weather patterns to help us stay safe and dry.
Word Bank
Rain Sleet Hail Snow Wind Temperature
Precipitation Check
1. Which type of precipitation is blown high into the air by wind to freeze?
A) Snow
B) Hail
C) Sleet
2. What is it called when water vapor turns back into liquid droplets?
A) Evaporation
B) Condensation
C) Precipitation
3. True or False:
Sleet usually falls during the winter.
Answer: _______________________
4. True or False:
Snow forms when the air inside a cloud is above 32°F.
Answer: _______________________
Fill in the Blanks (Use the Word Bank)
5. _________________________ is the most important factor in determining what kind of precipitation falls.
6. Most people think of _________________________ when they hear the word precipitation.
7. Moving air that can toss raindrops up and down is called _________________________.
8. Tiny ice pellets that bounce when they hit the ground are called _________________________.
9. _________________________ starts as raindrops that freeze solid in high clouds.
10. _________________________ is made of tiny ice crystals that stick together when it is very cold.
11. How does hail form? (Explain what happens to the raindrops inside the cloud)
12. Based on the text, what are two things that happen to water before it falls as heavy rain?
