Weather Facts for Kids

In some dry parts of the world, people use large mesh nets to capture fog and turn it into drinking water.

Some weather satellites orbit 22,000 miles above Earth and can see an entire hemisphere at once.

A firenado, or fire whirl, is a spinning column of fire created when intense heat and wind combine during a wildfire.

The ozone layer in Earth's atmosphere blocks most of the Sun's harmful ultraviolet rays from reaching the ground.

The air pressure at the top of Mount Everest is only about one-third of what it is at sea level.

Ocean currents driven by temperature and salt differences help regulate Earth's climate by moving heat around the planet.

Graupel looks like tiny styrofoam balls and forms when snowflakes get coated with a layer of rime ice.

El Nino is a warming of the Pacific Ocean that can change weather patterns around the entire world.

Saharan sandstorms carry so much dust across the Atlantic that it helps fertilize the Amazon Rainforest.

The dew point tells you how much moisture is in the air — a dew point above 65 degrees Fahrenheit feels very muggy.