NOTICE and WONDER……
Photo Sheared Mammatus Cloud. Stillwater, Minnesota. October 2019. Copyright Amy Lilienfeld/Circle of Illumination Science Education.
But all clouds, in general, are just one element of the highly complex phenomena called “Weather” and “Climate”. Although they operate at vastly different spatial and temporal scales weather and climate are comprised of many of the same elements: air temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind direction and speed, and atmospheric pressure. Each of these elements is constantly changing but also often interacts with some of the other variables in a highly complex system. One of the major goals of Circle of Illumination Science Education is to help unpack some of this complexity while emphasizing the big ideas in a way that all teachers, regardless of prior knowledge, will be able to comprehend.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFERINGS: Please see SUMMER 2026 webinar offerings below but go to separate “Professional Development Workshops/Webinars” page for additional ongoing offerings.
WEBINAR: INTRODUCTION TO WEATHER with the NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE’s “HEAT INDEX”.
JULY 20, 2026. Noon - 1 pm ET. Webinar will be FREE but a) advance registration will be required and b) registrants’ emails must be from a school district. Link to register through ZOOM will be provided one week in advance. 1 CEU to be awarded
One cannot help but notice and wonder about something like this unusual “sheared mammatus cloud”. But like all clouds it is a phenomenon indicating the incredible things that are going on in our atmosphere.
What secrets do YOU think this cloud is trying to tell us?
Source: The National Weather Service, “What is the Heat Index?” , https://www.weather.gov/ama/heatindex, accessed [7/2/2026].
JULY 2, 2026. As of this writing much of the U.S. (and Europe) have been in the grips of a severe heat wave for several consecutive days. Although the high air temperature itself poses a tremendous health hazard it has been compounded by high humidity in a phenomenon referred to as the “Heat Index”. In this webinar participants will learn what the heat index is. But if you think you already know all there is to know about the heat index…. GUESS AGAIN!!! The concepts behind it are based on the water cycle, in particular, the energetics of evaporation. Ideas will be provided for an in-class activity.
Supplemental readings that will be referenced include:
The National Weather Service, “What is the Heat Index?”, accessed on 07/02/2026 at: https://www.weather.gov/ama/heatindex.
Carter, Jimmy. 2001. “An Hour Before Daylight: Memories of a Rural Boyhood”, Simon and Schuster (Touchstone Books). pp 167-168 (where Carter discusses the risk of heat strokes when he worked in the farm fields).
Duster, Chandelis. June 28, 2026. “A ‘Heat Dome’ is Driving Dangerous Heat Across the U.S. Into the July 4th Weekend”, National Public Radio, accessed [7/5/2026] at:
https://www.npr.org/2026/06/28/nx-s1-5874019/weather-extreme-heat-wave-north-carolina-ohio-july-4-danger-prepare
WEBINAR: WHAT IS THE “DEWPOINT”? INTERACTIONS BETWEEN TEMPERATURE and RELATIVE HUMIDITY (continued)
JULY 30, 2026. Noon - 1 pm ET. Webinar will be FREE but a) advance registration will be required and b) registrants’ emails must be from a school district. Link to register through ZOOM will be provided one week in advance. 1 CEU to be awarded.
Interactions between temperature and relative humidity extend far beyond the heat index. They encompass a broad range of interactions in weather related to the process of condensation such as the formation of dew and fog overnight or in the development of clouds. In this in-depth webinar participants will get their first formal introduction to real-time weather data and be shown how and why air temperature and humidity typically vary over a 24-hour period as well as an introduction to the “dewpoint temperature”.
