Sun and Clouds:
Percent Sunshine
It's often good for your mental health to be outside on a bright sunny day, but be careful. What's good for your spirits isn't so dandy for the skin. Ultraviolet radiation in sunlight can cause skin cancer. So take care of yourself and slap on some sunscreen when you're working or playing in the sun.
Just how careful you have to be depends on where you live. Some places get lots of sunshine, others don't. Where in the United States does the sun shine the most? Where in the United States would you be most careful about protecting yourself from UV radiation? Government scientists keep weather records about how much sunshine major cities get each month. Which are the "sunniest" cities in the United States? Go on, take a guess.
| Set A: | ___ Honolulu, HI | ___ Chicago, IL | ___ San Diego, CA |
| Set B: | ___ Key West, FL | ___ Los Angeles, CA | ___ St. Louis, MO |
| Set C: | ___ Juneau, AK | ___ Philadelphia, PA | ___ Atlanta, GA |
Scientists keep records of daily sunshine. At weather stations throughout the country, the percentage of possible sunshine is calculated monthly and then averaged annually. The following date are annual percentages of possible sunshine for each of the 50 states.
| City, State | Percent Possible Sunshine (Annual) |
City, State | Percent Possible Sunshine (Annual) |
|
Birmingham, AL Anchorage, AK Phoenix, AZ Little Rock, AR Los Angeles, CA Denver, CO Hartford, CT Washington, DC Miami, FL Atlanta, GA Honolulu, HI Boise, ID Chicago, IL Indianapolis, IN Des Moines, IA Topeka, KS Louisville, KY New Orleans, LA Portland, ME Baltimore, MD Boston, MA Detroit, MI Minneapolis, MN Jackson, MS St. Louis, MO |
41 85 62 73 69 56 56 70 60 71 64 54 55 59 61 56 57 57 57 58 53 58 61 57 |
Helena, MT Lincoln, NE Las Vegas, NV Concord, NH Atlantic City, NJ Albuquerque, NM New York, NY Charlotte, NC Fargo, ND Cleveland, OH Tulsa, OK Portland, OR Philadelphia, PA Providence, RI Columbia, SC Rapid City, SD Nashville, TN Dallas, TX Salt Lake City, UT Burlington, VT Richmond, VA Seattle, WA Elkins, WV Madison, WI Cheyenne, WY |
61 85 54 56 76 58 62 57 49 62 48 56 58 64 63 56 61 66 49 63 43 40 54 66 |
On the outline map of the United States below, place the data for each state in the appropriate place on the map. Do you notice any patterns? Whate are they and why?
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