Education World ® - Lesson Planning Skills Page: A White Christmas This Year?

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A White Christmas This Year?

DIRECTIONS: The data below show the percent chance in 50 U.S. cities of there being at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on Christmas Day. Plot the information below on a U.S. outline map. (You might use USA Map 1 or USA Map 2.) After you have plotted the data, create a color key. Use a different color to show places that have a chance of snow from
0 to 20 percent,
21 to 40 percent,
41 to 60 percent,
61 to 80 percent, and

81 to 100 percent.
Finally, color the map to show the percent likelihood of snow cover on Christmas Day across the U.S.

ALABAMA

Mobile 0%

ARIZONA

Tucson 3%

ARKANSAS

--	Little Rock 3%

CALIFORNIA

--	Los Angeles 0%

COLORADO

--	Denver 50%
--	Pueblo 28%

CONNECTICUT

--	Bridgeport 30%
--	Hartford 57%

DIST. OF COLUMBIA

--	Washington, D.C. 13%

IDAHO

--	Idaho Falls 70%
--	Boise 30%

ILLINOIS

--	Rockford 57%

INDIANA

--	Indianapolis 30%
--	South Bend 67%

IOWA

--	DesMoines 50%

KANSAS

--	Topeka 23%

KENTUCKY

--	Louisville 13%

MAINE

--	Portland 83%

MASSACHUSETTS

--	Boston 23%
--	Worcester 60%

MICHIGAN

--	Grand Rapids 73%

MINNESOTA

--	Minneapolis 73%

MISSOURI

--	St. Louis 23%

MONTANA

Butte 87%

NEBRASKA

Omaha 44%

NEVADA

--	Las Vegas 0%

NEW HAMPSHIRE

--	Concord 87%

NEW JERSEY

--	Newark 23%

NEW MEXICO

--	Albuquerque 3%

NEW YORK

--	Albany 63%
--	New York City 10%

OHIO

--	Cleveland 50%
--	Columbus 23%

OKLAHOMA

--	Oklahoma City 3%

OREGON

--	Portland 0%

PENNSYLVANIA

--	Erie 57%
--	Pittsburgh 33%

SOUTH DAKOTA

--	Rapid City 47%
--	Sioux Falls 67%

TENNESSEE

--	Memphis 7%

UTAH

--	Cedar City 33%
--	Salt Lake City 53%

VERMONT

--	Burlington 77%

VIRGINIA

--	Richmond 7%

WASHINGTON

--	Seattle 7%
--	Spokane 70%

WISCONSIN

--	Eau Claire 87%
--	Milwaukee 60%

WYOMING

--	Laramie 48%
--	Sheridan 83%

Note: The map students create will be a simple approximation of the likelihood that an area will have an inch of snow or more on the ground on Christmas Day. Geographic location can account for vast differences in snowfall within a short distance. For example, much of Arizona has little chance of snow cover on Christmas Day, but part of the state -- around the city of Flagstaff, which is located in the mountains in the middle of the state -- has a 57% chance of snow cover on Christmas. Students' maps will not show fine detail such as that you would find in a map that indicates ground snow around Flagstaff.