ATSC 113 - Snow Sports Exam Questions with Complete Answers

ATSC 113 - Snow Sports Exam Questions with Complete Answers What is mid-mountain? - Answer-The middle of typical skiing elevation range What is a pressure-level map? - Answer-A map that visualizes what the weather condition looks like at a certain pressure surface (85.0 kpa is most common) What happens to pressure as you get higher in atmosphere? - Answer-pressure decreases How are pressure level maps shown? - Answer-animated loops, starting with an analysis map at the time the Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) model was made. - have black contours that show lines of constant temperature every 2C What is an NWP? - Answer- How are pressure-level maps plotted with wind? - Answer-They use wind barbs They have a plain edge, that show where wind is coming from, an orientation of direction (like an arrow) Short line means 10 km/h winds, full lines are 20 km/h winds and dlags mean 100 km/h winds What are wind speeds on pressure-maps best thought of? - Answer-estimates of wind speed in the "free atmosphere" (excluding the effects of friction from the surface) at that elevation What is high pressure associated with? - Answer-Light winds, especially near center of high pressure systems and less guaranteed on the edge When there is a _______ gradient winds will be light - Answer-Weak pressure gradient, which means less difference between pressure (air flow that causes wind) (isobars are further apart) What are scenarios where a high pressure system doesn't have light winds? - Answer-When a high pressure system approaches from the west or a low pressure system departs to the east/south east and create a string pressure gradient Also outflow winds What are low-level wind maps? - Answer-Indicate areas of light wind, at a surface level (ie 85.0 kpa) What are some uses for temperature forecasts? - Answer-What to wear appropriately for skiing, whether precipitation will fall as rain/snow, and to identify fronts At what rate do temperature contours change for? - Answer-A change for every 2C