Topics

Contrail Simulation

Explore what causes contrails in this simulation!

Why Do Satellites Have Different Orbits?

Learn about the difference between a geosynchronous and polar orbit.

How's the weather on other planets?

If you think Earth can have bad weather, check out these places!

Why Does the Atmosphere Not Drift off Into Space?

After all, it is only air. What keeps it here?

What Makes It Rain?

And what causes snow, hail, and ice rain?

Learn satellite meteorology

Enough said!

What is science?

Facts you learn in a science book or a wonderful way of looking at the world?

The Solar Cycle

Learn about storms on the sun!

Tidal Curiosities

Why do tide cycles take 24 hours and 50 minutes? What is a neap tide? And more.

Weather Tricktionary

Are you a weather guru?

Classroom Activities

PDF versions of our favorite activities!

What's the Difference Between Weather and Climate?

Is it news or is it history?

Steps in a Science Fair Project

Where shall I begin? How will I pick a topic?

Next Generation Science Standards

Find SciJinks content that aligns with the NGSS.

Share NOAA SciJinks

Spread the word!

What Is a Heat Wave?

And how can I stay safe during one?

Keeping a watchful eye on dangerous ice

What does the chief scientist for the National Ice Center do?

What's it Like Being a Broadcast Meteorologist?

Learn all about Carrie Rose's and her job as a broadcast meteorologist.

What Is the Coriolis Effect?

And what does it have to do with hurricanes?

How Do You Become An Air Force Meteorologist?

We ask a soon-to-be recruit!

How Do Snowflakes Form?

How does water form such intricate designs up there in the clouds?

What Is the Scientific Method?

There are certain steps to follow, but science doesn't always follow them!

A Brief History of Lightning Detection

Really? A tool to detect lightning? It's pretty hard to miss, isn't it?

What is NOAA?

Learn about NOAA!

Be a citizen scientist!

Join a network of citizen meteorologists and do real science.

What Causes Lightning and Thunder?

What is the source of all the blinding light and earth-shaking sound?

What Causes a Rainbow?

Learn how to be in the right place at the right time.

How Does Space Weather Affect Us?

What is space weather, and why should we care?

Keeping an Eye on Volcanic Ash

To an aircraft, a volcanic ash cloud is like a sky full of broken glass.

What Is the Polar Vortex?

And how does it cause such a freeze?

How do satellites help save lives?

Find out in this edition of Wild Weather Jobs.

How Does a Hurricane Form?

And what does Category 5 mean?

What Causes Tornadoes?

These are the most violent storms on Earth. Can we forecast them even better?

Why Does Earth Have Seasons?

The answer may surprise you, since Earth is farthest from the Sun in July.

Be Ready to Help

Ever wonder how you can help out?

When disaster strikes!

Families need to know where to find the stuff they need.

How Big Was Typhoon Haiyan?

Satellite images show just how huge it was.

Can meteorologists help fight wildfires?

Incident meteorologist Lisa Kriederman tells all about her exciting job.

What Is Lake Effect Snow?

Why do areas near big lakes get so much snow?

Postcards

Printable postcards to download and display.

Posters

Print them small or print them large. You choose!

How did Earth's atmosphere form?

Earth is on its third atmosphere! We wouldn't have liked the first two at all!

Why Is the Sky Blue?

This may sound like an easy question... it's not!

Bookmarks

Beautiful two-sided bookmarks to print and display.

How do you make a weather satellite?

It is easy to understand and fun to think about in this little book.

What Is a Solstice?

And what does Stonehenge have to do with it?

What's the Difference Between Fog and Clouds?

Aren't they the same thing?

Weather Science Fair

Need some ideas for a weather science fair project?

How to Escape Rip Currents

Wave, yell and swim parallel.

What Is a Firestorm?

Some wildfires grow so large that they can create their own weather system.

Types of Clouds

Learn about common cloud types and what they can tell us about the weather!

What Is the Gulf Stream?

Learn more about this strong ocean current!

How Reliable Are Weather Forecasts?

It all depends on how far in advance you’re trying to forecast!

How Is Air Quality Measured?

Satellites orbiting above Earth monitor what’s in our air.

Video: Why Don't Satellites Fall out of the Sky?

How do they all stay up there?

What Is a Red Tide?

A red tide is a toxic event that occurs on the coastline when algae—a plant-like organism—grows out of control. Learn more about what causes these toxic events and how they can be dangerous to people and animals.

What Is a Dust Storm?

Learn all about these walls of dust that can be miles long and several thousand feet high.

Video: How Do Wildfires Spread?

Learn about how conditions in the weather and environment can cause these uncontrolled fires to spread more quickly—and how we use weather satellites to help us stay safe.

What Is a Nor'easter?

Learn about this type of storm that forms along the East Coast of North America.

Video: What Causes a Thunderstorm?

All thunderstorms have the same basic ingredients. Watch this video to learn more!

What Is Precipitation?

This infographic will teach you about precipitation!

Causes of Floods

How do atmospheric conditions and an area’s geography cause a flood?

What Causes a Drought?

Droughts are caused by unusually dry weather — but they don't just happen in dry places, like deserts. Find out why.

What Is the Jet Stream?

Learn about these fast-moving ribbons of air that are high in our atmosphere.

Trade Winds

Learn about how these winds that are important for sailors also influence our weather.

What Are High and Low Pressure Systems?

Is air super heavy?

The Most Extreme Weather in America

Check out five of the most extreme storms in US history and see what they looked like from the view of a NOAA weather satellite!

What Is an Atmospheric River?

Learn more about these moving columns of water vapor in the sky!

What Is Humidity?

Humidity is a measure of water vapor in the air.

Meet COSMIC-2

Learn more about this team of six small satellites that will collect information about Earth’s weather and climate.

Satellite Controller

Read about Tom Boyd and how he controls weather satellites.

What Are the Different Climate Types?

The world is split up into climate zones. Do you know which zone you live in?

Seeing a Solar Eclipse From Space

What do satellites see during a solar eclipse?

What Causes Tides?

Tides are a complicated dance between gravity and inertia.

The California Drought

It’s the worst drought in 1,200 years, so what do we do?

Snowflake Simulator

See how temperature affects the shape of snowflakes.

Hurricane Simulation

Explore the relationship between sea surface temperatures and hurricane strength.

Storm Surge

One of the most dangerous parts of a hurricane.

Precipitation Simulator

Can you make it rain, snow, and hail? Try it out!

Rainbow Simulator

See how angles and distances affect your view of rainbows.

Auroras

Even though auroras are best seen at night, they are actually caused by the sun.

Meet a GOES-R Series Weather Satellite

A series of new, high-tech satellites that will be orbiting 22,000 miles above Earth

What Is an Ice Jam?

As winter melts away, chunks of ice can jam up rivers and cause flooding.

Watching Forests from Space

An instrument aboard the JPSS-1 satellite will help scientists monitor trees and crops

What Is a Gust Front?

Fast winds that fall from thunderstorms

Rainbow Clouds

Cloud iridescence looks amazing

SciJinks Glossary

Learn a bunch of weather terms!

What Is La Niña?

Learn about this weather pattern.

Why Do Leaves Change Color?

In the fall, leaves turn bright red, orange, and yellow. But where do these colors come from?

Make Lightning with ZAP!

You're an updraft! In this game, build up charges within a storm cloud!

What Is El Niño?

The temperature of the ocean's surface has a far-reaching effect on weather.

Hi, I'm JPSS!

I’m a high-tech weather satellite that orbits our planet.

How to Read a Weather Map

What do those symbols mean for tomorrow’s weather?

Why Does Wind Blow?

It's all about temperature.

What Is a Derecho?

And why are they so destructive?