The Great Expedition Series, Book 7

A Million Whys: The Weather Expedition for Curious Kids

By Crafty Clover. Published by Million Whys Press.

Why Do Clouds Form in the Sky? Why Does Wind Blow at All? Why Is the Daytime Sky Blue? This book answers 150 questions like these, one question per page, each with a short video answer. Six expeditions: Clouds, Fog & Rain, Storms, Thunder & Lightning, Wind, Pressure & Weather Maps, Seasons, Heat & Climate Clues, Rainbows, Sky Colors & Light, and Weather Detectives & Staying Safe.

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All 150 questions

Tap a question to watch its video and read the answer.

Expedition 1: Clouds, Fog & Rain

1. Why Do Clouds Form in the Sky?
2. Why Are Some Clouds Fluffy and Some Flat?
3. Why Do Clouds Look White?
4. Why Do Storm Clouds Look Gray or Black?
5. Why Does Fog Hug the Ground?
6. Why Is Fog Thicker in the Morning?
7. Why Does Dew Sparkle on Grass?
8. Why Does Rain Fall as Drops, Not One Big Splash?
9. Why Do Raindrops Look Like Teardrops in Cartoons?
10. Why Does Drizzle Feel Different From a Downpour?
11. Why Does Rain Smell So Good After a Dry Spell?
12. Why Do Puddles Form and Then Disappear?
13. Why Does Water Drip From Leaves After Rain?
14. Why Can You See Your Breath on a Cold Day?
15. Why Does Steam Rise From a Hot Sidewalk After Rain?
16. Why Do Mountains Make Their Own Clouds?
17. Why Is There Fog Near Lakes and Rivers?
18. Why Do Some Days Feel Sticky Before It Rains?
19. Why Does Hail Fall as Icy Balls?
20. Why Does Sleet Bounce and Snow Float?
21. Why Does Frost Paint Windows?
22. Why Do Clouds Sometimes Look Like Animals?
23. Why Can Airplanes Fly Through Clouds?
24. Why Do Weather Balloons Go So High?
25. Why Do Scientists Name Cloud Types in Latin?

Expedition 2: Storms, Thunder & Lightning

26. Why Do Thunderstorms Build So Fast?
27. Why Does Thunder Rumble After Lightning?
28. Why Is Lightning So Bright?
29. Why Does Lightning Zigzag?
30. Why Do We Count Seconds After a Flash?
31. Why Is Metal Not a Lightning Magnet the Way Myths Say?
32. Why Do Tall Trees and Towers Get Struck More Often?
33. Why Is a Car Usually Safer in a Storm (But Not Always)?
34. Why Should You Avoid Open Fields in Lightning?
35. Why Does Thunder Shake Windows?
36. Why Do Some Storms Make Hail the Size of Marbles?
37. Why Do Tornadoes Spin?
38. Why Is a Tornado Watch Different From a Warning?
39. Why Do Hurricanes Have an “Eye”?
40. Why Do Hurricanes Need Warm Ocean Water?
41. Why Do Storm Names Get Retired?
42. Why Does the Sky Turn Greenish Before Some Storms?
43. Why Do Power Lines Go Out in Storms?
44. Why Do Weather Sirens Howl?
45. Why Is Shelter in a Basement Safer in a Tornado?
46. Why Do Flash Floods Happen So Quickly?
47. Why Should You Never Drive Into Flooded Streets?
48. Why Do Blizzards Make It Hard to See?
49. Why Do Ice Storms Coat Everything in Glass?
50. Why Do Grown-Ups Say “When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors”?

Expedition 3: Wind, Pressure & Weather Maps

51. Why Does Wind Blow at All?
52. Why Is a Breeze Soft and a Gale Strong?
53. Why Do Flags Flap and Pinwheels Spin?
54. Why Do We Feel Wind More on Hills and Beaches?
55. Why Does Wind Have Directions Like North and West?
56. Why Do Weather Vanes Point Into the Wind?
57. Why Does High Pressure Often Mean Fair Weather?
58. Why Does Low Pressure Often Mean Storms?
59. Why Do Isobars Look Like Squiggly Lines on Maps?
60. Why Do H and L Letters Appear on Weather Maps?
61. Why Do Fronts Look Like Triangles and Semicircles?
62. Why Does a Cold Front Often Bring Sudden Showers?
63. Why Does a Warm Front Bring Longer, Gentler Rain?
64. Why Do Jet Streams Race High Above Us?
65. Why Do Airplanes Care About Wind?
66. Why Does Wind Chill Make You Feel Colder?
67. Why Do Deserts Get Hot Days and Cold Nights?
68. Why Do Cities Feel Warmer than Countryside?
69. Why Do We Measure Wind in Knots or Mph?
70. Why Do Anemometers Spin?
71. Why Do Barometers Help Forecast?
72. Why Do Weather Apps Show Different Numbers?
73. Why Do Satellites Watch Earth From Space?
74. Why Do Doppler Radars See Rain Before It Arrives?
75. Why Do Meteorologists Still Go Outside?

Expedition 4: Seasons, Heat & Climate Clues

76. Why Do We Have Seasons?
77. Why Is Summer Hotter than Winter Where You Live?
78. Why Are Seasons Flipped in the Other Hemisphere?
79. Why Does the Sun Feel Stronger at Noon?
80. Why Do Long Summer Days Feel Endless?
81. Why Do Short Winter Days Feel Cozy and Dark?
82. Why Do Leaves Change Color in Autumn?
83. Why Do Some Places Stay Warm All Year?
84. Why Do the Poles Stay Cold?
85. Why Does the Equator Get So Much Heat?
86. Why Does Humidity Make Hot Days Feel Hotter?
87. Why Does Dry Air Make Cold Days Feel Sharper?
88. Why Do Heat Waves Stick Around?
89. Why Do Cold Snaps Arrive So Suddenly?
90. Why Does Snow Cover Keep the Ground Insulated?
91. Why Do Gardens Need Different Planting Months?
92. Why Do Birds Migrate with the Seasons?
93. Why Do Bears and Other Animals Slow Down in Winter?
94. Why Does Climate Mean More than Today’s Weather?
95. Why Do Scientists Track Climate Over Many Years?
96. Why Do Tree Rings and Ice Cores Hold Climate Clues?
97. Why Can One Hot Day Not Prove the Climate Is Changing?
98. Why Do Oceans Store So Much Heat?
99. Why Do Volcanoes Temporarily Cool the Planet?
100. Why Does Caring for Earth Help Weather and Climate?

Expedition 5: Rainbows, Sky Colors & Light

101. Why Is the Daytime Sky Blue?
102. Why Do Sunsets Glow Orange and Pink?
103. Why Does the Sky Look Redder After Wildfires or Dust?
104. Why Do Rainbows Need Both Sun and Rain?
105. Why Is a Rainbow Curved?
106. Why Do Rainbows Show a Set Order of Colors?
107. Why Can You Sometimes See a Double Rainbow?
108. Why Can’t You Walk to the End of a Rainbow?
109. Why Do Soap Bubbles Show Rainbow Colors?
110. Why Do Oil Slicks Shimmer Like Tiny Rainbows?
111. Why Does Moonlight Look Silvery, Not Yellow-Hot?
112. Why Do Stars Twinkle?
113. Why Does the Moon Have a Halo Sometimes?
114. Why Do Sundogs Appear Beside the Sun?
115. Why Does the Sky Look Purple Before a Storm?
116. Why Do Shadows Get Long in the Evening?
117. Why Does Snow Look So Bright White?
118. Why Do Clouds Turn Pink at Sunrise?
119. Why Does Twilight Linger After Sunset?
120. Why Do Northern Lights Paint the Night (Aurora)?
121. Why Do Mirages Shimmer on Hot Roads?
122. Why Does Glass Make Light Bend?
123. Why Do Sunglasses Help on Bright Days?
124. Why Does a Prism Split White Light?
125. Why Do Photographers Chase “Golden Hour”?

Expedition 6: Weather Detectives & Staying Safe

126. Why Do Weather Forecasts Help Families Plan?
127. Why Are Forecasts Better for Tomorrow than Next Month?
128. Why Do Weather Stations Sit in Open Spots?
129. Why Do Kids’ School Apps Send Weather Alerts?
130. Why Should You Respect a Severe Weather Watch?
131. Why Is a Warning More Urgent than a Watch?
132. Why Do We Practice Storm Drills?
133. Why Is a Weather Radio Still Useful?
134. Why Pack a Small Go-Bag Before Storm Season?
135. Why Stay Away From Windows in a Big Storm?
136. Why Unplug Gadgets Before Lightning Arrives?
137. Why Wear Layers on Changeable Spring Days?
138. Why Drink Water on Hot, Humid Days?
139. Why Never Play in Drainage Ditches After Rain?
140. Why Check the Sky Before a Picnic or Hike?
141. Why Do Farmers Watch the Weather So Closely?
142. Why Do Pilots and Sailors Need Forecasts?
143. Why Can Citizen Scientists Help Weather Research?
144. Why Keep a Simple Weather Journal?
145. Why Learn Local Emergency Signals?
146. Why Help Neighbors After a Storm (with Grown-Ups)?
147. Why Clean Gutters and Secure Trampolines Before Wind?
148. Why Is Sunscreen Still Useful on Cloudy Days?
149. Why Talk About Feelings After Scary Storms?
150. Why Does Asking “Why?” Make You a Weather Detective?