Weather

Close-up of a child in a gray knit hood and brown coat standing in falling snow, holding their hands near their face.

Science

Winter Chills

December 19, 2025

“Oh, the weather outside is frightful” Is that line familiar? It comes from a popular winter song. The song refers to snow. But it could be about another weather event: windchill. Windchill is a weather term you might hear this…

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Science

Winter Weather Terms

December 19, 2025

How do you learn about the weather? You can check the forecast online or hear it on TV or on the radio. Following the weather can help you stay prepared. But sometimes, it can be hard to understand. Here are…

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Science

Snowflake Science

November 30, 2023

Look at the snowflakes on this page. What shapes do you see? Usually, a snowflake is the shape of either a star or a column. But did you know that no two snowflakes are exactly alike? Even scientists wonder why.…

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Science

Studying Snowflakes

November 30, 2023

No two snowflakes are alike. This was discovered by a man named Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley. He was born in 1865 in Vermont. He grew up on a farm, and was fascinated by snowflakes. His mother gave him a microscope when…

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Science

Heat Wave

July 31, 2023

People cool off near a fountain in New York City, on July 27. Scientists say July is Earth’s hottest month on record. Extreme hot weather has blistered three continents—North America, Europe, and Asia. In the United States, more than 128…

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Environment

Strong Storms

February 9, 2021

The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active on record. Between May and November, 30 major storms brewed in the Atlantic Ocean. Thirteen of them became hurricanes. Eta and Iota were powerful hurricanes. Eta hit Central America in November.…

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Science

Hurricane Basics

February 9, 2021

A hurricane is a mass of clouds and thunderstorms. It spins around a still center. The center is called the “eye.” A hurricane is like a giant engine. It uses warm air as fuel. There’s plenty of that in the…

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Environment

Stormy Weather

March 5, 2019

The sky is dark and the air is thick. Lightning flashes and thunder claps. Winds blow. Heavy rain falls. It’s a thunderstorm! The National Severe Storms Laboratory says there are 16 million thunderstorms in the world each year. At any…

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Environment

Serious Storms

March 5, 2019

Tornadoes and hurricanes are cyclones. That’s a storm of spinning winds. Tornadoes and hurricanes are powerful, and they can be dangerous! A tornado is a spinning funnel of wind. It makes a roaring noise. Tornadoes form over land. Most…

Science

Bursts of Fire

November 15, 2017

Glowing hot lava sputters from the peak. Chunks of rock shoot into the sky. The ground rumbles. The air is thick with ash and smoke. A volcano is erupting. A volcano is an opening in the Earth. Magma, or hot…

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