Exam 3 Flashcards
In numerical weather prediction, forecast and errors may come from errors in ________ and ________.
Initial condition; model
Three stages of an ordinary cell thunderstorm.
- Cumulus stage
- Mature stage
- Dissipating stage
What happens to the warmer air mass when it collided with a colder air mass?
Forced to lift
The difference of a hurricane and a mid-latitude cyclone in the core, in terms of temperature and motion are:
Cold updraft in mid latitude cyclone, warm downdraft in hurricane
What type of clouds (in order) would you see
Cirrus, cirrostratus, altostratus, nimbostratus
Six steps of mid-latitude cyclones development based on the Polar Front Theory.
- Stationary front
- Frontal wave
- Open wave
- Initial occlusion
- Advanced occlusion
- Cut off cyclone
What happens to a surface low of an upper air low lies directly above it?
Weakens
On a weather map, the transition zone between two air masses with sharply contrasting properties is marked by
A front
The development or strengthening of a middle latitude cyclone storm system
Cyclogenesis
The rising of warm air up and over cold air
Overrunning
An air mass is characterized by similar properties of ________ and ________ in any horizontal direction.
Temperature; moisture
For cyclogenesis to occur along a frontal wave, the winds aloft directly above the wave should be
Diverging
Atmospheric short waves usually move _____to_____ at a speed that is ________ than longwaves.
West to east; faster
According to the model of the life cycle of a wave cyclone, the storm system is normally most intense
When the system first becomes occluded.
What type of air mass would be responsible for hot, dry summer weather in southern Arizona? (c/m and T/P)
cT
A stationary front does not move because
The winds blow parallel to the front
Developing low pressure areas generally have ________ air near the surface and ________ air aloft.
Converging; diverging
Which of the following is not correct concerning a warm front?
It has warm air ahead (in advance) of it.
One would expect a cP air mass to be
Cold and dry.
What type of air mass would be responsible for snow showers on the western slopes of the Rockies?
mP
When an upper-level low lies directly above a surface low:
The surface low will probably weaken.
A true cold front on a weather map is always
Followed by cooler air.
If the flow of air into a surface low pressure area is greater than the divergence of air aloft, the surface pressure in the center of the low will
Increase
What type of weather front would be responsible for the following weather forecast: “increasing cloudiness and warm today with the possibility of showers by this evening, turning much colder tonight, with winds southwesterly becoming gusty and shifting to northwesterly by tonight”?
Cold front