A Wonderleaf question
Why do mountains change the weather?
a real page from the book
Mountains change weather because they force moving air upward. As air rises, it cools, and cool air gives up more of its water as cloud, rain, or snow. After crossing the peak, the air often comes down drier, leaving one side wetter than the other.
That is why a family drive over a range can feel like changing countries in an afternoon: forest on one slope, dry scrub on the next. Mountains can also squeeze winds through gaps, making local gusts warmer, colder, or stronger.
Wonder words
- windward
- leeward
- moisture
- climate
Try it out
Drape a towel over a chair as a mountain, then blow across it and imagine where clouds would drop their rain.
Read the whole picture book
Watercolour scenes, straight answers, about three minutes cover to cover.
Open the picture bookKeep wondering
- Why is frost sparkly?
- Why is the sky sometimes gray?
- Why do clouds change shape?
- How do meteorologists predict the weather?
- Why does the air smell different after rain?
- Why is fog close to the ground?
And the next question?
Ask anything — Wonderleaf writes and illustrates a picture book for it. That's the whole idea.
Ask your own question