METEOROLOGY EXAM 3 QUESTIONS
WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
-fronts
~know the different fronts and the characteristics of each - Correct Answers --warm
-cold
-stationary
-occluded
-dryline
warm front - Correct Answers --drawn in red (warmer air = red)
-red ovals point in the direction the warm is advancing land shows the movement
-light rain along the warm front (sometimes)
maritime tropical (mT) - Correct Answers --warm, moist air from the sub-tropical pacific,
the gulf of mexico, and/or the south atlantic moves inland
-in california (winter), the "pineapple express" brings heavy rain and mudslides
-humid air is a fuel source for summer and winter storms in the midwest
know what kind of weather is associated with each air mass and be able to identify their
source regions - Correct Answers --classifying air masses:
1. moisture
-dry- c for continental
-wet- m for maritime
2. temperature
-warm- t for tropical
-cold- p for polar
-frigid- a for arctic
what is the "pineapple express" and why is it important? - Correct Answers --humid,
subtropical air, which originates near hawaiian islands
-battered pacific NW with rain then causes catastrophic flooding in CA
-it was important because it was an event that caused property damage and massive
mudslides
cold front - Correct Answers --drawn on a map in blue (colder air = blue)
-blue triangles point in the direction the cold air is advancing (and shows the movement)
-usually, active weather along the cold front
, stationary front - Correct Answers --drawn in alternating colors (blue & red)
-essentially no movement with this front
-least "active" type of frontal system
-big difference in air masses (north & south of front)
occluded front - Correct Answers --drawn in alternating purple "pips"
-pips- the name assigned to the "pointy parts" of weather fronts
-where cold and warm fronts "run into each other" they collide, in a sense
-occluded fronts are attached to ___ low pressure systems (reason why fronts collide)
continental tropical (cT) - Correct Answers --hot and dry air masses conjugate over the
deserts of mexico
-air may be unstable, but lack of moisture ensures dry weather
-provides long, hot & dry days to the central plains and midwest
-if a "blocking pattern" sets up, extreme drought conditions and hot temperatures can be
realized
maritime polar (mP) - Correct Answers --forms over cold waters like the north atlantic or
pacific
-moves inland over the pacific northwest (washington/oregon) and the northeast (maine
to massachusetts)
-causes major winter-time storms
-maritime polar air provides showers and precipitation to california and other coastal
areas off the west coast
-"modified" maritime polar air provides an ingredient for severe weather in the plains
states when mixed with warm, moist air
dryline - Correct Answers --drawn in yellow with tight "pips"
-it is a "line" (boundary) that separates dry air from moist air
-warm, dry air (cT) moves over warm, moist air (mT) --> very unstable!
-found in the ____ states and provides a great focus for ___ weather!
what is frontogenesis? - Correct Answers -birth- to strengthen a front, increase the
temperature difference across the front
what is frontolysis? - Correct Answers -death- to weaken a front, decrease the
temperature difference across the front
what is the definition of a "weather front"? - Correct Answers --definition #1: a transition
zone between air of different densities
-definition #2: a boundary between air masses with different characteristics
-either way, they separate the air masses we've described
-a front brings "changes" in the weather
"weather front facts" - Correct Answers --fronts extend along the ground and above the
ground
WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
-fronts
~know the different fronts and the characteristics of each - Correct Answers --warm
-cold
-stationary
-occluded
-dryline
warm front - Correct Answers --drawn in red (warmer air = red)
-red ovals point in the direction the warm is advancing land shows the movement
-light rain along the warm front (sometimes)
maritime tropical (mT) - Correct Answers --warm, moist air from the sub-tropical pacific,
the gulf of mexico, and/or the south atlantic moves inland
-in california (winter), the "pineapple express" brings heavy rain and mudslides
-humid air is a fuel source for summer and winter storms in the midwest
know what kind of weather is associated with each air mass and be able to identify their
source regions - Correct Answers --classifying air masses:
1. moisture
-dry- c for continental
-wet- m for maritime
2. temperature
-warm- t for tropical
-cold- p for polar
-frigid- a for arctic
what is the "pineapple express" and why is it important? - Correct Answers --humid,
subtropical air, which originates near hawaiian islands
-battered pacific NW with rain then causes catastrophic flooding in CA
-it was important because it was an event that caused property damage and massive
mudslides
cold front - Correct Answers --drawn on a map in blue (colder air = blue)
-blue triangles point in the direction the cold air is advancing (and shows the movement)
-usually, active weather along the cold front
, stationary front - Correct Answers --drawn in alternating colors (blue & red)
-essentially no movement with this front
-least "active" type of frontal system
-big difference in air masses (north & south of front)
occluded front - Correct Answers --drawn in alternating purple "pips"
-pips- the name assigned to the "pointy parts" of weather fronts
-where cold and warm fronts "run into each other" they collide, in a sense
-occluded fronts are attached to ___ low pressure systems (reason why fronts collide)
continental tropical (cT) - Correct Answers --hot and dry air masses conjugate over the
deserts of mexico
-air may be unstable, but lack of moisture ensures dry weather
-provides long, hot & dry days to the central plains and midwest
-if a "blocking pattern" sets up, extreme drought conditions and hot temperatures can be
realized
maritime polar (mP) - Correct Answers --forms over cold waters like the north atlantic or
pacific
-moves inland over the pacific northwest (washington/oregon) and the northeast (maine
to massachusetts)
-causes major winter-time storms
-maritime polar air provides showers and precipitation to california and other coastal
areas off the west coast
-"modified" maritime polar air provides an ingredient for severe weather in the plains
states when mixed with warm, moist air
dryline - Correct Answers --drawn in yellow with tight "pips"
-it is a "line" (boundary) that separates dry air from moist air
-warm, dry air (cT) moves over warm, moist air (mT) --> very unstable!
-found in the ____ states and provides a great focus for ___ weather!
what is frontogenesis? - Correct Answers -birth- to strengthen a front, increase the
temperature difference across the front
what is frontolysis? - Correct Answers -death- to weaken a front, decrease the
temperature difference across the front
what is the definition of a "weather front"? - Correct Answers --definition #1: a transition
zone between air of different densities
-definition #2: a boundary between air masses with different characteristics
-either way, they separate the air masses we've described
-a front brings "changes" in the weather
"weather front facts" - Correct Answers --fronts extend along the ground and above the
ground
