Weather Facts for Kids

Seasons happen because Earth is tilted 23.5 degrees on its axis, not because of its distance from the Sun.

Microbursts are powerful downdrafts from thunderstorms that can produce wind damage as severe as a small tornado.

About 1,800 weather balloons are launched around the world every day to collect data from the upper atmosphere.

Sleet bounces when it hits the ground because it freezes in the air, while freezing rain freezes only after it lands.

Mammatus clouds look like pouches or bubbles hanging from the sky and often appear before severe storms.

Lightning can absolutely strike the same place twice — the Empire State Building gets hit about 20 times per year.

An average thunderstorm is about 15 miles across and lasts around 30 minutes.

The Coriolis effect, caused by Earth's rotation, curves the paths of winds and ocean currents.

Lake-effect snow happens when cold air passes over a warm lake, and it can drop several feet of snow in just hours.

The pleasant smell after rain is called petrichor, and it comes from bacteria in the soil releasing oils when hit by raindrops.