WITH TOM SKILLING ACTIVITY BOOKLET 2019 WGN-TV CHIEF METEOROLOGIST Tom Skilling, WGN-TV chief meteorologist, the Weather Center started providing weather appears weekdays on WGN Evening News from reports to WGN Radio. He has also received an 5-7pm, WGN News at Nine and WGN News at Ten. immense response for WGNtv.com weather blog. He celebrates his 41st anniversary with WGN-TV For 38 years, Tom Skilling hosted a Tornado and in August 2019. Severe Storms Seminar at Fermilab. As host of the event, Skilling welcomed the ‘who’s who’ in the Starting his successful career at the unheard of severe weather research and forecast community, age of 14, Tom was hired by WKKD in Aurora, including famed University of Chicago tornado IL, while attending West Aurora High School. He researcher Dr. Ted Fujita. The Fermilab programs joined WLXT-TV three years later, while going to have been attended by thousands over the school during the day. years and have been streamed to even larger audiences online. In 1970, Tom moved to Madison, WI to study meteorology and journalism at the University of Over the past several years, Tom has spoken at Madison-Wisconsin, while continuing to work in numerous events throughout the Chicagoland radio and television. Tom’s first television job was area discussing climate change. In June 2018, at age 18 in Aurora, IL, at WLXT Channel 60. Then Tom was awarded by the Illinois Broadcasters on to WKOW-TV (ABC affiliate) and WTSO radio Association (IBA) as their “2018 Broadcast in Madison, WI before going to work for WITI-TV, Pioneer” honoree. From recording a podcast Milwaukee from 1975-1978, where he was rated with Mayor Emmanuel about climate change to the city’s #1 meteorologist. emceeing several events, Tom has maintained a very busy schedule. Tom joined WGN-TV on August 13, 1978. Since then, he has established himself as a respected meteorologist both locally and nationally, known for his in-depth reports, enthusiasm, and use of state-of-the-art technology. For over 30 years, Skilling was chief meteorologist on WGN Midday News as well as later newscasts. Tom Skilling has been awarded with three honorary doctorates from Lewis University, St. Mary’s of Minnesota and Aurora University. In early 2004, Tom helped coordinate the Tribune Weather Center, which combines the meteorology resources and expertise of WGN-TV, CLTV and the Chicago Tribune in one location. Since 1997, Skilling has been a driving force behind the friend tom on facebook at Chicago Tribune’s weather page. Another element in the column is “Ask Tom Why,” in which Tom Facebook.com/tomskilling takes viewers’ questions and answers the “why” behind the weather. In October 2008, Tom and White Sox Weather Day Booklet 2019 HOW TO MAKE A CLOUD IN A JAR USING HAIRSPRAY Materials and Equipment • A jar with lid • About 1/3 cup hot water • Ice • Hairspray Experimental Procedure 1. Start by pouring the hot water into the jar. Swirl it around a bit to warm up the sides of the jar. 2. Turn the lid upside down and place it on the top of the jar. Place several ice cubes onto the lid, and allow it to rest on the top of the jar for about 20 seconds. 3. Remove the lid, quickly spray a bit of hairspray into the jar, and then replace the lid with the ice still on top. Watch the cloud form. 4. When you see a good amount of condensation form, remove the lid and watch the “cloud” escape into the air. How Does it Work? When you add the warm water to the jar, some of it turns to water vapor. The water vapor rises to the top of the jar where it comes into contact with cold air, thanks to the ice cubes on top. Water vapor condenses when it cools down. However, a cloud can only form if the water vapor has something to condense onto. In nature, water vapor may condense onto dust particles, air pollution, pollen, volcanic ash, etc. In the case of this activity, the water vapor condensed onto the hairspray. White Sox Weather Day Booklet 2019 WEATHER DAY QUIZ QUIZ: 1. _______ is the change in state of water from a liquid to a gas. A. Evaporation B. Inversion C. Condensation 2. Which is NOT a type of cloud? A. Stratus B. Cirrus C. Typhoon 3. The _______ is an index that combines air temperature and relative humidity to determine an apparent temperature. A. Dew Point B. Wind Chill Index C. Heat Index 4. Which country experiences the most tornados? A. Canada B. USA C. South America 5. On a single rainbow, red is always located where in the rainbow? A. On top B. In the center C. On the underside 6. Which is a slow, light rain that can go on for hours? A. A shower B. A drizzle C. A cold front 7. A funnel cloud that touches the ground is called a _______. A. Tornado B. Fog C. Dew Answers: 1-A, 2-C, 3-C, 4-B, 5-A, 6-B, 7-A 6-B, 5-A, 4-B, 3-C, 2-C, 1-A, Answers: White Sox Weather Day Booklet 2019 CONNECT THE DOTS White Sox Weather Day Booklet 2019 HOW WINDY IS THE WINDY CITY? • The phrase “the Windy City” actually originates from a political reference and not a weather reference. • With an average yearly wind speed of about 10 miles per hour, Chicago fails to rank in the top ten windiest cities even in the United States. • The average wind speed in Mt. Washington, New Hampshire is 35 miles per hour. • With many of the tallest buildings in the world crowded into the downtown “loop” area just off the lake, a gusty funneling effect can create winds that will nearly knock the average pedestrian over. SUNSHINE 10 Hours 0 TEMPERATURE 90º 30º 70º 20º ºF ºC 60º 10º 32º 0º -15º -10º RAINFALL 4” 100 Inches mm Jan Feb Mar Apr MayJun JulAug SepOct NovDec 0 0 White Sox Weather Day Booklet 2019 WEATHER DAY WORD SEARCH Directions Find and circle all of the direction words that are hidden in the grid. The words may be hidden in any direction. F N T I I Q B B O I C F A I P L K L P P R E S S U R E T H G U O R D U V W H V Y T F V E N O O H P Y T R H Q U D H N E T G E S U N N Y Y R O H S R A V G L J T Z L M W S S I S M W J K K N G A N Z E E T K N E P E D E G R E E S G X X T S W O S J Y L C A V A L A N C H E A X W I E Z A Z M N T Z D L Z R O C O Y H N C D Q Z Y F R T S A C R E V O F A L O M G I A R E T E M O R A B R C O O L C Z R B Q R C F L O U N O I U L Y Z T L D E O F I O F G I N R D F I S I N W O I P Q G G V A T R Y L O A W O L O C Q Y Y G W R R U B R H Q H I F R E E Z I N G A A H F C G S K D G Y T I D I M U H Avalanche Flood Hurricane Barometer Flurries Meteorology Blizzard Forecast Overcast Breeze Freezing Pressure Cloudy Front Rain Cool Frost Shower Degrees Gale Snow Drizzle Hail Sunny Drought Humidity Typhoon White Sox Weather Day Booklet 2019 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Q: What percentage of days in Chicago from April 1st to October 1st do not have any measurable precipitation between 6pm and 11pm? -Kevin, Chicago A: Dear Kevin, The chance of no precipitation on any day in Chicago, averaged over the year, is about two in three (67 percent), but there are variations around that number through the year. During the April-September baseball season, the odds of a dry day range from a maximum of about 77 percent in early April and late September to a minimum of 63 percent in late May and again in late July and early August. The odds of precipitation during the evening are highest in the warm season when thunderstorms are most prevalent, with activity peaking during between 5-9pm. Q: Does an identically struck ball that travels 300 ft with a barometer reading of 30 inches travel less or more distance than one struck with a reading of 29 inches? How much difference in travel should we expect? -Ken, Chicago A: Dear Ken, Under identical circumstances, a baseball will travel farther with lower air pressure, a direct result of less air resistance. It is significant at ball parks with higher elevation like Coors Field in Denver where the air pressure is equivalent to a 25-inch barometer reading, allowing similarly hit balls to travel an extra 20-30 feet. A small drop in air pressure from 30 to 29 inches would be minor, translating to a distance increase of just a few feet.