Theme: When Weather Turns Wild

Experience the powerful forces and atmospheric patterns behind extreme weather.

9 themed words All 26 letters covered Vowels shown in gold Consonants hidden in blue
1
    U A    
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  1. A word connected to when weather turns wild.
  2. Think of sudden wind.
  3. A sharp increase in wind speed arrives abruptly and may bring rain.
  4. The answer starts with S and has 6 letters.
Reveal answer
S Q U A L L
Background information
Squalls are sudden increases in wind speed, often associated with passing weather systems.
2
  O     E  
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  1. A word connected to when weather turns wild.
  2. Think of rotating air.
  3. Air or water spins around a central axis in this swirling pattern.
  4. The answer starts with V and has 6 letters.
Reveal answer
V O R T E X
Background information
Vortices occur in tornadoes, whirlpools, and even small eddies behind obstacles.
3
        O   E
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  1. A word connected to when weather turns wild.
  2. Think of rotating storm.
  3. A large low-pressure weather system has winds circling its center.
  4. The answer starts with C and has 7 letters.
Reveal answer
C Y C L O N E
Background information
Cyclones rotate counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
4
  O     A   O
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  1. A word connected to when weather turns wild.
  2. Think of violent wind column.
  3. A rapidly rotating funnel extends from a thunderstorm to the ground.
  4. The answer starts with T and has 7 letters.
Reveal answer
T O R N A D O
Background information
Tornadoes are violently rotating columns of air in contact with the ground and a cloud base.
5
    I     A    
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  1. A word connected to when weather turns wild.
  2. Think of severe winter storm.
  3. Strong winds and blowing snow cause dangerously poor visibility.
  4. The answer starts with B and has 8 letters.
Reveal answer
B L I Z Z A R D
Background information
Blizzard conditions involve strong winds and severely reduced visibility from falling or blowing snow.
6
    O     A    
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  1. A word connected to when weather turns wild.
  2. Think of accumulated snow.
  3. Layers of snow build up on the ground and may become unstable.
  4. The answer starts with S and has 8 letters.
Reveal answer
S N O W P A C K
Background information
Snowpack structure matters for avalanche risk, water supply, and mountain ecology.
7
  I         I    
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  1. A word connected to when weather turns wild.
  2. Think of electrical storm.
  3. A bright atmospheric discharge is commonly followed by thunder.
  4. The answer starts with L and has 9 letters.
Reveal answer
L I G H T N I N G
Background information
Lightning rapidly heats the surrounding air, producing the shock wave heard as thunder.
8
  E         E A  
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  1. A word connected to when weather turns wild.
  2. Think of high-altitude winds.
  3. A narrow band of fast-moving winds influences weather patterns.
  4. The answer starts with J and has 9 letters.
Reveal answer
J E T S T R E A M
Background information
Jet streams form near boundaries between air masses and help steer many weather systems.
9
    O O     A   E  
Show expanded hints
  1. A word connected to when weather turns wild.
  2. Think of overflowing water.
  3. Water spreads over normally dry ground after heavy rain or a river overflow.
  4. The answer starts with F and has 10 letters.
Reveal answer
F L O O D W A T E R
Background information
Floodwater can carry debris and contaminants, making even shallow moving water dangerous.

When Weather Turns Wild: Did You Know?

Different hemispheres
Large cyclones generally spin in opposite directions north and south of the equator.
Snow and wind
A blizzard is defined by severe wind and visibility conditions, not just snowfall.
Thunder follows
Lightning heats air rapidly, creating the sound wave we call thunder.
Rivers in the sky
Jet streams are fast bands of wind that help steer weather systems.