Graphic Weather Flashcards by Bryn Chase

Define weather watch

Severe weather is POSSIBLE during specified time

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Define weather warning

Severe weather has been observed (happening now) or is EXPECTED within the hour

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How often is a Surface Anaylsis Chart for Aviation Interests transmitted and how long is it valid?

Surface analysis charts are transmitted every 3 hours. The valid time corresponds to the time of the observations

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Aviation surface analysis charts will contain what information?

Sky condition, surface wind directions and speed, temperature (℉), surface weather condition, visibiliy, and ceiling

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How are tornado warnings depicted/overlaid on radar imagery?

Red polygons

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How are severe thunderstorm warnings depicted/overlaid on radar imagery?

Yellow polygons

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What is a radar mosaic?

A radar moscaic consists of multiple single-site radar images combined to produce a radar image on a regional or national scale

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What is an outflow boundary?

Boundary separating thunderstorm-cooled air from the surrounding air. This can trigger additional weather phenomena.

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Solid lines depicting the sea-level pressure patterns are called _____.

Isobars

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What are the six pieces of information shown on an aviation surface analysis chart plot?

Sky condition
Surface wind direction and speed
Temperature (℉)
Surface weather conditions
Visibility
Ceiling

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Visibilities less than 1 SM are coded _____ on surface analysis charts since fractions are not coded on this chart.

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Surface analysis charts provide ready means of locating _____ and _____.

Pressure systems and fronts

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Radar echoes indicate the _____ of the precipitation

Intensity

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Convective precipitation echoes tend to form as _____ or _____.

Cells or Lines

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A _____ is used to identify an aircraft reporting position on a Constrant Pressure Analysis chart.

Square
◻︎

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A _____ is used to identify a satellite reporting position on a Constant Pressure Analysis chart

Star
☆

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Isotachs are drawn at _____ knot intervals and begins at 10 knots

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300MB is roughly equivalent to _____ feet and _____ meters

30,000 feet and 9,000 meters

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Large negative lifted index values of _____ would indicate very unstable air

-6 or less

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The KI value is an indicator of the _____ and coverage of storms.

Probability

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What does a green area represent on a Short-Range Surface Prog?

Rain

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If snow is likely, what is the percentage of probability?

≥ 55%

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What are the four intensities of precipitation given by ATC?

Light, moderate, heavy, extreme

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What hazards are associated with stratiform precipitation?

Possible widespread icing above the freezing level, low ceilings, reduced visibilities.

Widespread aerial coverage on the radar, echo patterns change slowly

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What hazards are associated with convective precipitation?

Turbulence, LLWS, gusty surface winds, icing above the freezing level, hail, tornadoes, localized IFR conditions. Echoes form as cells or lines, patterns change rapidly

What data is plotted on Constant Pressure Analysis charts?

1. Temperature 2. Temperature/Dew Point Spread 3. Wind 4. Height of the surface above sea level 5. Height change of the surface over previous 12-hr period

What does a shaded circle mean on a Constant Pressure Analysis chart?

The spread is 5℃ or less

What does a high positive KI imply?

Moist and unstable air

What is an Upper Air Sounding?

A weather report issued twice daily to compute the lifted index and K index.

What are the two projections for Winds and Temperature Aloft Charts?

Mercator (true north is always up, greater distortion at the poles) and Polar (very little distance distortion)

What do G-Airmets provide?

Precise, interactive, easy to understand graphical displays for moderate weather that are issued every 6 hours.

What are prognostic charts?

FORECASTS

What does a green area represent on a prog chart?

Rain

What does a blue area represent on a prog chart?

Snow

What does a purple area represent on a prog chart?

Mix

What does orange represent on a prog chart?

Ice

What does a red area represent on a prog chart?

Striped, chance thunderstorms Solid, likely thunderstorms

Information is provided for what altitudes on a low-level significant weather prog?

Surface to FL240 (400mb)

Solid lines on a low-level prog enclose areas of _____.

IFR weather

Scalloped lines on a low-level prog chart enclose areas of _____.

MVFR weather

Freezing levels aloft on a low-level prog chart are depicted by _____.

Thin, short, dashed lines

Bold, dashed long lines enclose areas of _____ on a low-level prog chart

Moderate or greater turbulence

How is the freezing level at the surface depicted on a low-level prog chart?

Zigzag lines

When is a mid-level prog chart used?

10,000' MSL to FL450. Generally used for planning over the North Atlantic

The base of the high-level prog chart is _____ and the top is _____.

FL250, FL630

What is Isolated (ISOL) CB coverage?

Less than 4/8

What is Occasional (OCNL) CB coverage?

4/8-6/8

What is Frequent (FRQ) CB coverage?

More than 6/8

What do 5-sided polygons indicate on high-level progs?

High and low TROP heights

How many times are Convective Outlook Charts issued?

5 times daily

What are the five categories of risk of severe weather the convective outlook defines?

1. Marginal risk (MRGL) 2. Slight risk (SLGT) 3. Enhanced risk (ENH) 4. Moderate risk (MDT) 5. High risk (HIGH)

Decode

Rain Showers

Decode

Freezing Drizzle

Decode

Mist

Decode

Fog

Decode

Smoke

Decode

Severe Icing

Decode

Moderate Icing

Decode

Tropical thunderstorm. If filled in, hurricane/typhoon

Decode

Volcanic eruption

Decode

Wind from the north west at 75 knots

Decode

Missing cloud (sky cover) observation or partial obscuration

Decode

Sky obscured

Decode

Overcast (> 7/8)

Decode

Breaks in overcast

Decode

Broken (5/8-7/8)

Decode

Scattered (3/8-4/8)

Decode

Few (<1/8-2/8)

Decode

Sky clear

Decode

Thunderstorms with rain

Decode

Freezing rain

Decode

Thunderstorms with snow

Decode

Ice pellets

Decode

Snow pellets

Decode

Drifting snow

Decode

Moderate turbulence

Decode

Extreme turbulence

Decode

Severe turbulence

Decode

Haze

Decode

Sand storm/dust storm

What chart would you find this on?

High level prog chart

Sample radiosonde plot

Sample aircraft plot

Sample satellite plot

On what chart would you find this and how would you decode it?

High level prog chart. Occasional embedded CBs at FL520, bottom below chart level. Isolated embedded CBs at FL490, bottoms below chart level

Decode

Snow showers

Sample surface analysis plot

How often is data colleted from radiosondes to prepare constant pressure charts?

Twice a day

How often is a surface analysis chart transmitted?

Every 3 hours

Isotherms are depicted as _____ dashed lines.

Bold

Isotachs are depicted as _____ dashed lines

Short, fine

Hatched and unhatched areas are alternated at _____ intervals beginning at 70 knots

40 knot intervals

Upper air soundings are updated every ______.

12 hours

How often are FBs published?

Four times daily

Short-range surface progs are issued ____ daily

4 times daily

Low-level significant weather prog are issued _____ daily

4 times daily

What does the solid line represent?

IFR weather

What does the scalloped line represent?

MVFR weather

What is the difference between the zigzag lines and the thin, short, dashed lines?

The zigzag line is the surface freezing level The thin, short dashed lines are freezing levels aloft

What do the bold, dashed, brown lines represent?

Moderate or greater turbulence

What altitudes are represented on the low level significant weatehr chart?

Surface - 24,000

How often are high-level significant weather progs issued?

4 times daily