Weather and Climate — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Grade 3 students see tall, dark cumulonimbus clouds. What weather is most likely coming?
A) A clear sunny day
B) A heavy thunderstorm
C) Light snow flurries
D) Cool foggy morning
Grade 3 forecasting: cumulonimbus clouds produce thunder, lightning, and heavy rain.
2. On a Grade 3 weather map, falling air pressure usually means what kind of weather is coming?
A) Stormy or rainy weather
B) Hot, sunny weather
C) Calm, clear skies
D) No change at all
Grade 3 forecasting: dropping air pressure signals an approaching storm system.
3. Grade 3 students compare a coastal town and a mountain town. Which weather pattern fits the coast?
A) Very cold winters with deep snow
B) Mild temperatures with sea breezes
C) Dry desert heat all year
D) Heavy snow at the peaks
Grade 3 climate: coastal areas have mild weather because oceans warm and cool slowly.
4. Grade 3 readers see thin, wispy cirrus clouds high in the sky. What does this often mean?
A) A tornado is forming now
B) Heavy snow has begun
C) Weather change in a day or two
D) Hot dry desert air today
Grade 3 forecasting: cirrus clouds often appear before a weather system arrives.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. Grade 3 students learn that puffy, white, cotton-like fair-weather clouds are called cumulus.
Grade 3 clouds: cumulus clouds usually mean fair, pleasant weather.
2. In Grade 3 science, low gray sheet-like clouds that often bring drizzle are called stratus.
Grade 3 clouds: stratus clouds form gray blankets and bring light rain.
3. Grade 3 forecasters use a barometer to measure changes in air pressure.
Grade 3 tools: barometers measure air pressure to help predict weather.
4. Grade 3 maps show that mountain regions usually have heavy snowfall and colder temperatures.
Grade 3 climate: higher elevation means colder air and more snow.
5. Grade 3 students learn that any cloud name with the word nimbus in it usually means rain.
Grade 3 clouds: nimbus in a cloud name signals precipitation, like nimbostratus.