Weather has been a topic this week in my writing. I have always been interested in weather going back to fourth grade I remember reading the book about hurricanes many times. Living in the Chicagoland area provides many opportunities to learn and experience weather. We have a humid continental climate with four seasons, short, hot, humid summers and long, cold, snowy winters. As a geography teacher, I want my kids to remember the type of climate we have and that it is similar to the climate experienced in north central Europe and stretches across north central Asia. Chicago and other American cities such as Detroit, Buffalo, Minneapolis, and Boston have such a climate. Worldwide such cities as Moscow, Helsinki, and Beijing experience the same climate as Chicago. The Midwest is affected by a weather phenomenon, we know as severe thunderstorms, which are influenced by the Gulf Coast moisture and cool dry air from Canada that only occurs in North America. It is also one of the few places in the world that experience tornadoes. In an effort to help students remember basic weather information and be able to compare and contrast weather to other places around the globe I use a 40-40 rule. The 40-40 rule explains the amount of annual precipitation and snowfall that Chicago receives. The actual average is 36.27” of precipitation (includes snow) and 38.0” of snowfall annually. Pretty close and it is easy to remember. Continue reading Day 26: The Storm →