How do Mountain Ranges Affect Weather?

Areas of Science	Weather & Atmosphere
Difficulty
Time Required	Long (2-4 weeks)

*Note: For this science project you will need to develop your own experimental procedure. Use the information in the summary tab as a starting place. If you would like to discuss your ideas or need help troubleshooting, use the Ask An Expert forum. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions and offer guidance if you come to them with specific questions.

If you want a Project Idea with full instructions, please pick one without an asterisk (*) at the end of the title.

Abstract

Many continents contain large mountain ranges that divide the continent into different regions. In the U.S. the Rocky Mountains mark the continental divide. The presence of a large mountain range can have a big effect on seasonal weather patterns. Also, the weather and climate on one side of a mountain range may be very different from weather and climate on the other side of the range. In the case of the Rocky Mountains, the western slope and eastern slope each have very different climates and seasonal weather patterns. There are other mountain ranges in the U.S. besides the Rocky Mountains: The Grand Tetons and the Sierra Nevadas in the west, and the Appalachians in the east. Conduct an experiment comparing seasonal weather patterns on the two sides of a mountain range. Use online databases to gather data about annual temperature, humidity and precipitation patterns for locations on either side of the mountain range. You can even gather data from famous mountain ranges in other parts of the world like the Himalayas, the Alps or the Andes. Use your world atlas to find an interesting location, and then use an online database to gather your data. How do the climates compare? (FI, 2006; GLOBE, 2006; NCAR, 2006; NOAA, 2006; Unisys, 2006; Weather Underground, 2006; WMO, 2006)

Bibliography

FI, 2006. "Franklin's Forecast," The Franklin Institute. Retrieved March 1, 2006, from http://www.fi.edu/weather/.
GLOBE, 2006. "The GLOBE Program: Measurements: Protocols," GLOBE, managed jointly by UCAR and CSU. Retrieved March 1, 2006, from http://www.globe.gov/do-globe/globe-teachers-guide
NCAR, 2006. "NCAR Science and Education Outreach Page," National Center for Atmospheric Research. Retrieved March 1, 2006, from https://scied.ucar.edu/.
NOAA, 2006. "NOAA Homepage," National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved March 1, 2006, from http://www.noaa.gov/.
Unisys Corp, 2006. "Unisys Weather," Blue Bell, PA. Retrieved March 9, 2006, from http://weather.unisys.com/.
The Weather Underground, Inc, 2005. "The Weather Underground," Ann Arbor, MI. Retrieved December 13, 2005, from http://www.wunderground.com/.
WMO, 2006. "World Meteorological Organization," WMO, United Nations. Retrieved March 1, 2006, from https://public.wmo.int/en.

Cite This Page

General citation information is provided here. Be sure to check the formatting, including capitalization, for the method you are using and update your citation, as needed.

MLA Style

Science Buddies Staff. "How do Mountain Ranges Affect Weather?" Science Buddies, 6 Feb. 2019, https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Weather_p022/weather-atmosphere/mountain-ranges. Accessed 9 Apr. 2020.

APA Style

Science Buddies Staff. (2019, February 6). How do Mountain Ranges Affect Weather? Retrieved from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Weather_p022/weather-atmosphere/mountain-ranges

Last edit date: 2019-02-06

Experimental Procedure

For this science project you will need to develop your own experimental procedure. Use the information in the summary tab as a starting place. If you would like to discuss your ideas or need help troubleshooting, use the Ask An Expert forum. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions and offer guidance if you come to them with specific questions.

If you want a Project Idea with full instructions, please pick one without an asterisk (*) at the end of the title.

Ask an Expert

The Ask an Expert Forum is intended to be a place where students can go to find answers to science questions that they have been unable to find using other resources. If you have specific questions about your science fair project or science fair, our team of volunteer scientists can help. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions, offer guidance, and help you troubleshoot.

Ask an Expert

If you like this project, you might enjoy exploring these related careers:

Geographer

When you hear the word geography, you might think of maps and names of state capitals, but the work of geographers is much more than creating maps and identifying places. Geographers look at how people, places, and Earth are connected. They study the economy, social conditions, climate, and topography of a region to help answer questions in urban and regional planning, business, agriculture, and medicine. Read more

Meteorologist

The atmosphere is a blanket of gases, surrounding Earth, that creates our weather. Meteorologists study the measurements and motion of the atmosphere, and changing events within it, so that they can predict the weather. This weather forecasting helps the general public and people who work in industries such as shipping, air transportation, agriculture, fishing, forestry, and water and power better plan for the weather, and reduce human and economic losses. Read more

News Feed on This Topic

, ,

Note: A computerized matching algorithm suggests the above articles. It's not as smart as you are, and it may occasionally give humorous, ridiculous, or even annoying results! Learn more about the News Feed

Looking for more science fun?

Try one of our science activities for quick, anytime science explorations. The perfect thing to liven up a rainy day, school vacation, or moment of boredom.

Find an Activity

How do Mountain Ranges Affect Weather? *

Abstract

Bibliography