ATMS 120 Severe and Hazardous Weather
Exam Prep Document 2026/2027 | Meteorology
Course | Severe Storms, Tornadoes &
Forecasting | 75 Verified Questions with
Detailed Explanations
SECTION 1: DROUGHT, HEAT, AND WILDFIRES
(Questions 1-10)
Q1. What are the four types of drought?
A) Mild, Moderate, Severe, Extreme
B) Meteorological, Hydrological, Agricultural, Socioeconomic
C) Short-term, Long-term, Seasonal, Perennial
D) Surface, Groundwater, Soil, Atmospheric
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The four types of drought are: (1) Meteorological: long period of
below-average precipitation; (2) Hydrological: deficit in ground water or
stream/river flow; (3) Agricultural: reduction in top soil moisture (the first
type to set in); (4) Socioeconomic: water supply reduced for human
consumption .
Q2. What is the heat index and why is it important?
A) The actual air temperature measured by a thermometer
B) The temperature felt by the human body when relative humidity is
combined with air temperature
C) The temperature at which water freezes
D) The temperature of the ocean surface
Correct Answer: B
,Rationale: The heat index (apparent temperature) determines the risk level
of heat disorders such as heatstroke and sunstroke. When the body gets too
hot, it perspires to cool itself. If perspiration cannot evaporate due to high
humidity, the body cannot regulate its temperature, making humid heat
more dangerous than dry heat .
Q3. What is the urban heat island effect?
A) When rural areas are warmer than cities due to farmland
B) When surfaces become impermeable/dry and warmer than their rural
surroundings due to human activities
C) When cities are cooler due to shade from buildings
D) When ocean temperatures affect coastal cities
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The urban heat island effect occurs because materials like
concrete, asphalt, brick, metal, and glass absorb heat during the day and
release it slowly at night. Cars, trains, industrial activities, and air
conditioners also contribute. Large cities can be several degrees warmer
than surrounding rural areas .
Q4. Which weather disasters are the most deadly and costly around
the world?
A) Hurricanes and tornadoes
B) Droughts and floods
C) Lightning and hail
D) Blizzards and ice storms
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Droughts and floods are the most deadly and costly weather
disasters globally. Drought is the #1 weather-related killer worldwide. Floods
are the #2 killer worldwide and in the US .
Q5. What factors influence the likelihood and spread of wildfires?
A) Cold, wet, calm conditions
B) Warm, windy, dry conditions
C) Cloudy, rainy, humid conditions
D) Snowy, icy, freezing conditions
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Wildfires are influenced by warm, windy, dry conditions caused by
a persistent ridge in the jet stream preventing precipitation. This creates a
, positive feedback cycle: the sun heats the surface, which dries the ground,
preventing cloud formation, which further builds the ridge aloft .
Q6. What are Santa Ana winds and how do they impact California
wildfires?
A) Warm, moist winds that bring rain to California
B) Strong, extremely dry downslope winds that originate inland and affect
coastal Southern California
C) Cold, wet winds that prevent wildfires
D) Gentle breezes from the Pacific Ocean
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Santa Ana winds originate from cool, dry high-pressure air masses
in the Great Basin. By the time they reach coastal areas, they are very dry,
warm, and fast-moving. They dry out vegetation, making it better fuel for
fires, and once a fire starts, the winds fan the flames and help spread them .
Q7. What is a haboob?
A) A type of dust storm carried on an atmospheric gravity current
B) A small tornado over water
C) A winter blizzard condition
D) A type of hurricane
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: A haboob is an intense dust storm caused by decaying
thunderstorms and their downdrafts. They occur regularly in arid regions
throughout the world .
Q8. Which region in the United States almost never experiences
flooding?
A) Mountainous regions
B) Northern rivers
C) Desert southwest
D) All of the above experience flooding conditions
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Flooding can occur in all regions of the United States.
Mountainous regions experience flash flooding induced by topography and
snowmelt; northern rivers face ice jams; the desert southwest experiences
heavy rain from thunderstorms that cannot be absorbed quickly; major river
systems drain the eastern half of the US; and coastal areas experience
flooding from hurricanes and storm surge .
Exam Prep Document 2026/2027 | Meteorology
Course | Severe Storms, Tornadoes &
Forecasting | 75 Verified Questions with
Detailed Explanations
SECTION 1: DROUGHT, HEAT, AND WILDFIRES
(Questions 1-10)
Q1. What are the four types of drought?
A) Mild, Moderate, Severe, Extreme
B) Meteorological, Hydrological, Agricultural, Socioeconomic
C) Short-term, Long-term, Seasonal, Perennial
D) Surface, Groundwater, Soil, Atmospheric
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The four types of drought are: (1) Meteorological: long period of
below-average precipitation; (2) Hydrological: deficit in ground water or
stream/river flow; (3) Agricultural: reduction in top soil moisture (the first
type to set in); (4) Socioeconomic: water supply reduced for human
consumption .
Q2. What is the heat index and why is it important?
A) The actual air temperature measured by a thermometer
B) The temperature felt by the human body when relative humidity is
combined with air temperature
C) The temperature at which water freezes
D) The temperature of the ocean surface
Correct Answer: B
,Rationale: The heat index (apparent temperature) determines the risk level
of heat disorders such as heatstroke and sunstroke. When the body gets too
hot, it perspires to cool itself. If perspiration cannot evaporate due to high
humidity, the body cannot regulate its temperature, making humid heat
more dangerous than dry heat .
Q3. What is the urban heat island effect?
A) When rural areas are warmer than cities due to farmland
B) When surfaces become impermeable/dry and warmer than their rural
surroundings due to human activities
C) When cities are cooler due to shade from buildings
D) When ocean temperatures affect coastal cities
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The urban heat island effect occurs because materials like
concrete, asphalt, brick, metal, and glass absorb heat during the day and
release it slowly at night. Cars, trains, industrial activities, and air
conditioners also contribute. Large cities can be several degrees warmer
than surrounding rural areas .
Q4. Which weather disasters are the most deadly and costly around
the world?
A) Hurricanes and tornadoes
B) Droughts and floods
C) Lightning and hail
D) Blizzards and ice storms
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Droughts and floods are the most deadly and costly weather
disasters globally. Drought is the #1 weather-related killer worldwide. Floods
are the #2 killer worldwide and in the US .
Q5. What factors influence the likelihood and spread of wildfires?
A) Cold, wet, calm conditions
B) Warm, windy, dry conditions
C) Cloudy, rainy, humid conditions
D) Snowy, icy, freezing conditions
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Wildfires are influenced by warm, windy, dry conditions caused by
a persistent ridge in the jet stream preventing precipitation. This creates a
, positive feedback cycle: the sun heats the surface, which dries the ground,
preventing cloud formation, which further builds the ridge aloft .
Q6. What are Santa Ana winds and how do they impact California
wildfires?
A) Warm, moist winds that bring rain to California
B) Strong, extremely dry downslope winds that originate inland and affect
coastal Southern California
C) Cold, wet winds that prevent wildfires
D) Gentle breezes from the Pacific Ocean
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Santa Ana winds originate from cool, dry high-pressure air masses
in the Great Basin. By the time they reach coastal areas, they are very dry,
warm, and fast-moving. They dry out vegetation, making it better fuel for
fires, and once a fire starts, the winds fan the flames and help spread them .
Q7. What is a haboob?
A) A type of dust storm carried on an atmospheric gravity current
B) A small tornado over water
C) A winter blizzard condition
D) A type of hurricane
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: A haboob is an intense dust storm caused by decaying
thunderstorms and their downdrafts. They occur regularly in arid regions
throughout the world .
Q8. Which region in the United States almost never experiences
flooding?
A) Mountainous regions
B) Northern rivers
C) Desert southwest
D) All of the above experience flooding conditions
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Flooding can occur in all regions of the United States.
Mountainous regions experience flash flooding induced by topography and
snowmelt; northern rivers face ice jams; the desert southwest experiences
heavy rain from thunderstorms that cannot be absorbed quickly; major river
systems drain the eastern half of the US; and coastal areas experience
flooding from hurricanes and storm surge .
