ATS 350 Exam 4 Questions and Answers Solved Correctly Latest Version 2025-2026
what is the definition of a thunderstorm - Answers any storm that produces thunder (lightning
required), convective and form in unstable environments
What are the characteristics of an ordinary (single cell) thunderstorm? - Answers Lasts less
than 1 hour, has weak vertical wind shear, shallow zone of wind convergence, and goes through
3 stages: cumulus, mature, dissipating.
What defines a multicell thunderstorm? - Answers A cold downdraft reaches the surface, forcing
warm moist air upward; consists of a series of thunderstorms in a line; requires strong wind
shear.
What are the key features of a supercell thunderstorm? - Answers Very strong vertical wind
shear, downdraft never undercuts updraft, creates rotation, lasts a long time, and can produce
tornadoes.
How does moisture help increase instability? - Answers Latent heat release of condensation
makes the moist adiabatic lapse rate less steep than the dry rate. So, a rising parcel will stay
warmer in the environment for longer
What are the three critical ingredients necessary for thunderstorm formation? - Answers 1.
moisture
2. instability
3. lift
In what wind shear conditions do ordinary thunderstorms occur? - Answers weak
where are ordinary thunderstorms common - Answers many areas including SE US in the
summer
What are the cumulus, mature, and dissipation stages? - Answers Cumulus: small cumulus
clouds bubble up into a conditionally unstable atmosphere, gradually moistening the
atmosphere above for deeper clouds
Mature: rising parcels are neutrally buoyant, anvil is formed, rain is generated along with updraft
and downdraft
Dissipation: precipitation and evaporative cooling weaking the updraft and generate a more
stable atmosphere
What are the updraft and downdraft, and how are they formed? - Answers Updraft is the
convective warm moist rising air parcels. Downdraft is due to evaporative cooling and the less
buoyant air sinks
, How does the storm die? - Answers there is no source of surface warm, moist airremaining to
generate positive buoyancyand convective updrafts in the storm
Why does the downdraft sink? Or alternatively, why are thunderstorm outflows (cold pools) cold?
- Answers Evaporation of raindrops steals heat from the environment, cooling the surrounding
air. The cool air sinks and spreads out when it gets to the surface.
What is a gust front? - Answers leading edge of cold air coming from the downdraft hitting the
surface and spreading out
What is the anvil of a thunderstorm - Answers section of the top of a cumulonimbus cloud that
spreads out horizontally as it hits the tropopause
How long does a typical ordinary thunderstorm last? - Answers After reaching the mature phase,
the storm dissipates in about 15-30 minutes
In what wind shear conditions do multicell storms form - Answers substantial vertical wind
shear
Why do multicell storms last longer than single cell storms? - Answers The wind shear makes it
possible to generate a flow of warm moist air in the updraft that is isolated from the downdrafts
What is an overshooting top? - Answers Convection overshoots its level of neutral buoyancy at
the cloud top
Understand how a multicell thunderstorm tilts with height, including the supply of warm air and
where the strongest winds occur - Answers It tilts with height because of windshear. the
strongest winds typically occur at the leading edge of the storm, within the outflow boundary,
where the cold downdraft from the mature cell pushes out ahead of the storm, creating a gust
front with strong wind gusts
Where do shelf clouds and roll clouds form? - Answers The edge of the gust fronts of multicell
storms
Know what is meant by an outflow boundary - Answers gust fronts can spread outwards from
the multicell storms and generate outflow boundaries that can create new places for storm
initiation
What is a microburst? - Answers downdraft
found in strong thunderstorms
similar to wind shear
A microburst can be particularly dangerous to aircraft, especially during landing, due to the wind
shear caused by its gust front.
what is the definition of a thunderstorm - Answers any storm that produces thunder (lightning
required), convective and form in unstable environments
What are the characteristics of an ordinary (single cell) thunderstorm? - Answers Lasts less
than 1 hour, has weak vertical wind shear, shallow zone of wind convergence, and goes through
3 stages: cumulus, mature, dissipating.
What defines a multicell thunderstorm? - Answers A cold downdraft reaches the surface, forcing
warm moist air upward; consists of a series of thunderstorms in a line; requires strong wind
shear.
What are the key features of a supercell thunderstorm? - Answers Very strong vertical wind
shear, downdraft never undercuts updraft, creates rotation, lasts a long time, and can produce
tornadoes.
How does moisture help increase instability? - Answers Latent heat release of condensation
makes the moist adiabatic lapse rate less steep than the dry rate. So, a rising parcel will stay
warmer in the environment for longer
What are the three critical ingredients necessary for thunderstorm formation? - Answers 1.
moisture
2. instability
3. lift
In what wind shear conditions do ordinary thunderstorms occur? - Answers weak
where are ordinary thunderstorms common - Answers many areas including SE US in the
summer
What are the cumulus, mature, and dissipation stages? - Answers Cumulus: small cumulus
clouds bubble up into a conditionally unstable atmosphere, gradually moistening the
atmosphere above for deeper clouds
Mature: rising parcels are neutrally buoyant, anvil is formed, rain is generated along with updraft
and downdraft
Dissipation: precipitation and evaporative cooling weaking the updraft and generate a more
stable atmosphere
What are the updraft and downdraft, and how are they formed? - Answers Updraft is the
convective warm moist rising air parcels. Downdraft is due to evaporative cooling and the less
buoyant air sinks
, How does the storm die? - Answers there is no source of surface warm, moist airremaining to
generate positive buoyancyand convective updrafts in the storm
Why does the downdraft sink? Or alternatively, why are thunderstorm outflows (cold pools) cold?
- Answers Evaporation of raindrops steals heat from the environment, cooling the surrounding
air. The cool air sinks and spreads out when it gets to the surface.
What is a gust front? - Answers leading edge of cold air coming from the downdraft hitting the
surface and spreading out
What is the anvil of a thunderstorm - Answers section of the top of a cumulonimbus cloud that
spreads out horizontally as it hits the tropopause
How long does a typical ordinary thunderstorm last? - Answers After reaching the mature phase,
the storm dissipates in about 15-30 minutes
In what wind shear conditions do multicell storms form - Answers substantial vertical wind
shear
Why do multicell storms last longer than single cell storms? - Answers The wind shear makes it
possible to generate a flow of warm moist air in the updraft that is isolated from the downdrafts
What is an overshooting top? - Answers Convection overshoots its level of neutral buoyancy at
the cloud top
Understand how a multicell thunderstorm tilts with height, including the supply of warm air and
where the strongest winds occur - Answers It tilts with height because of windshear. the
strongest winds typically occur at the leading edge of the storm, within the outflow boundary,
where the cold downdraft from the mature cell pushes out ahead of the storm, creating a gust
front with strong wind gusts
Where do shelf clouds and roll clouds form? - Answers The edge of the gust fronts of multicell
storms
Know what is meant by an outflow boundary - Answers gust fronts can spread outwards from
the multicell storms and generate outflow boundaries that can create new places for storm
initiation
What is a microburst? - Answers downdraft
found in strong thunderstorms
similar to wind shear
A microburst can be particularly dangerous to aircraft, especially during landing, due to the wind
shear caused by its gust front.
