Chapter 16 (PPT) Flashcards
Why do we care about mountain snow storms?
- Water Supply
- Hydroelectric Power
- Transportation Problems
- Avalanches
- Tourism
How much of the power generated in the west is Hydroelectric?
1/3 of power generated in the West is hydroelectric
Surface Hoar?
Frost on snow (Is also a real danger in CO. Tend to form cold, moist, windless nights.)
Can ‘Surface Hoar’s’ be hidden by fallen snow, that weaken the layer, and slide?
Yes
How does the mean annual snowfall change as you move from south to north in the great plains?
It increases from south to north
What factors control the annual snowfall on the great plains?
Latitude and temperature (Also, blizzards tend to dump more snow on N. plains)
Does mean annual snowfall change smoothly from south to north in the Western US?
No, it does not
What factors control the annual snowfall in the Western US?
Elevation and mountains! their location, height, and steepness (Better lift)
How does the lifting air over mountains compare to the lifting of air along a front?
Values are comparable between leading edge of front and in mountains
Why are precipitation amounts often larger in the mountains then along a front?
Because fronts, and their associated lifting, move horizontally in time. The lifting over the mountains is stationary, thus the snow is produced continuously over the mountains
Orographic Lifting?
Air is forced to rise as it encounters a mountain
Windward side?
The upward side of the mountain
Leeward side
The downwind side of a mountain
What mountains does air coming from the pacific ocean encounter in the Western US?
- Coast Range
- Sierra Nevada
- Wasatch Range
- Rocky Mountains
What states are the Cacades in?
Washington, and Oregon
What state is the Sierra Nevada in?
California
What state is the Wasatch in?
The Idaho
What states is the Rocky Mountains in?
Montana, Wyoming, Colorado
What are the 2 limitations of Radar in mountains?
- Reflectivity and snowfall rates arent accurate because ice crystals are different shapes and sizes
- Mountains block radar beams
Upslope storm?
A winter storm that occurs along the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains when the low level winds have an easterly component
