Test Review: Weather Answers

1. Define Weather. Weather is the state of the atmosphere at any given time and place.
2. Define what each of the following weather instruments measure:
a. Barometer: air pressure
c. Sling psychrometer: relative humidity/dew point temp.
b. Wind sock/vane: wind direction d. Anemometer: wind speed
3. Weather occurs in which layer of the atmosphere? Troposphere
4. Which layers of the atmosphere have an increase in temperature with an increase in altitude?Stratosphere and
Thermosphere
5. What happens to pressure as you increase in altitude? Air pressure decreases
6. Isobars connect points of equal pressure. Isotherms connect points of equal temperature.
7. At location A, the temperature is 50F and at location B, the temperature is 25F. The distance between the two locations
is 10 miles. Calculate the temperature gradient between location A and B.
50-25F=2.5F/mi
10 mi
8. Convert the following using your ESRT:
a. 1013.0 mb = 29.91 inches of mercury

b. 28.72 hg =

973.0

mb

9. Describe what happens to pressure as the following increase:

a. Temp= decrease in pressure
b. Moisture=decrease in pressure
10. How do winds form? From air pressure differences
11. In which direction do winds ALWAYS blow? From high pressure to low pressure
12. How are winds named? For the direction they blow from
13. What are two ways that wind speed can be determined ON A WEATHER MAP? (not the instrument used) Use the
station model or look at the pressure gradient. When the isobars are closer together, the wind speed is greater.
14. What do LICC and HOC stand for? Low Inward CounterClockwise and High Outward Clockwise
15. FIll in the chart below:
Characteristics

Low Pressure

High Pressure

Warm or Cold Air

Warm Air

Cold Air

Air Rising or Sinking

Air Rising

Air Sinking

Clouds or No Clouds

Clouds

No Clouds

Moist or Dry

Moist

Dry

16. What does a decrease in barometric pressure tell you about the upcoming weather? Stormy/wet weather
17. Draw a picture of a sea breeze:
18. Where winds converge, is air rising or sinking?

rising

Does this lead to clouds and rain?

19. What is the normal direction for all weather in the United States? from southwest to northeast
20. Why are there tropical rain forests at 0? (hint: Use Global Winds Diagram in ESRT)
Low pressure, converging winds and rising air

yes

160

70

140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
20
40
60

60

340

140

60

330

120

50

330
1024.0

30.30

1024.0

30.20

1020.0

320

50
30.10
40
30.00
21. What type of320
day would have
the most evaporation?
(Need
100
310temperature, moisture and wind in answer)1016.0
40 Hot, dry and windy
30.00 One atmosphere
1016.0
30
310
29.90
300
80
1012.0
Onerate
atmosphere
22.30
How
does
surface
area
impact
the
of
evaporation?
Increasing
surface
area
causes
more
water
is
29.90
Room temperature
20
300
1012.0
29.80
exposed to air and rate of60evaporation increases 290
1008.0
20
29.80
10
290
29.70
280
1008.0
23.10
Calculate the following examples:
40
1004.0
29.70
0 is 16C. What is the dewpoint?
280freezes
a. The Water
dry-bulb
is 20C and the wet-bulb
14C
270
29.60
1004.0
60%
20 the wet-bulb depression is 4. What is the relative humidity?
0b. The dry-bulb is 14C and
10
270
29.60
1000.0
260
29.50
10
24.
What are the
three things 0needed for20
cloud formation?
cooling temps, moisture in the air and condensation
1000.0
260
29.50
250
nuclei
996.0
29.40
20
20
30
250
996.0
29.40
240air rises, expands,
25.
What are the four steps for cloud formation? Warm
cools to dewpoint and992.0
condenses29.30
30
40
40
240
29.30
230992.0
29.20
26.
Explain the relationship between air temperature and dewpoint in order for clouds to form. 988.0
Air temp and
40
230
60
50
dewpoint need to be close or the same for clouds220
to form.
29.20
988.0
29.10
50
220

Keyoccur?
to Weather
27. When does precipitation
When airMap
temp Symbols
= dewpoint Why29.10
is this a good thing? Cleans the atm.
984.0

984.0

Station Model
Explanation
980.0
29.00
28. Where do air masses get their characteristics?
From their
source
region
Station Model Explanation
980.0
29. What two properties are included in an air mass? (Hint: think cP28.90
vs. cT) Temp and Moisture 976.0

28

196

976.0

130. FIll in the chart below:

+19/
2
Symbol

27

Name of Air Mass

.25

28.80

972.0

28.70
972.0 Characteristics

Canada

continental Tropical

dry/warm
28.50

Mexico

maritime Tropical

wet/warm

Gulf of Mexico

continental Polar

cT
mT

968.0

cA continental arctic

RaincA Smog
continentalHail
arctic Thunder-

Rain

Cold
32. What symbol is used forstorms
cold
front?
showers

ThunderRain
storms showers

cP continental polar

Warm

cP continental polar

maritime tropical
Fog
Haze
Snow
SleetmTFreezing
Occluded
rain
showers
maritime
polar
mP
34. Convert the following pressure:
Snow
showers

Physical Setting/Earth Science ReferenceMillibars

Tables 2011 Edition

les 2011 Edition

998.7 mb

25

999
-12
.25

28.70

28.50

North Atlantic
Hurricane

cP air mass? cold

Occluded

Station Model
1
987

35. Create a station model with the following variables:

a. Air Temp = 25F
b. Dewpoint = 25F
c. Cloud Cover = 100%
25
d. Visibility = 1 mile
e. Current Weather = rain
1 .

28.80

Tornado

Stationary

13

1000.1 mb

Fronts

Warm
Warm
front?

cT continental tropical
mP maritime polar

28.90

Cold

mT maritime tropical
continental
cT type
33. What
of fronttropical
would an
mT air mass bring?
warm Tornado
Stationary

Snow

29.00

Source Region 28.60

968.0

28.60
dry/cold

cP

mP
maritime Polar Air Masses
wet/cold
Present
Weather
31. What type
weather is associated atFronts
a front boundary? Hurricane
unstable weather
Air of
Masses
Drizzle

Haze

30.10

1020.0

ey to Weather
Map Symbols
Station Model

er

30.20

f. Wind Direction = north

g. Wind Speed = 25 knots
h. Pressure = 999.9 mb
i. Pressure Trend = -1.2 mb
j. Precipitation = .25 in

13

36. Name 3 ways to determine it is really humid or it is going to rain using a station model above.
low pressure, present weather = rain, air temp = dewpoint
37. How does lake-effect snow form?
cold air moves over a warm lake and picks up moisture. Snow is deposited on land as air rises over
topography.
38. Is a tornado a low or high pressure system? Low Does it rotate clockwise or counterclockwise? CCW
39. What type of air masses need to meet in order for a tornado to form?
40. Name 3 things you could do to prepare for a severe weather event.
evacuate, gather supplies. seek cover and/r stay inside

cP and mT