JX102 Flashcards
(28 cards)
What properties are used to locate and classify fronts?
Temperature, dew point, pressure, wind
What parameters of an air mass are generally uniform when measured across a horizontal plane?
Temperature and moisture
How will the winds shift during a cold front passage?
SW to NW
Squall lines generally develop where?
50 - 300 miles ahead of the cold front
How far ahead of a warm front can the associated cloud system reach?
500 to 700 miles
When encountering a stationary front, you can expect a ______° wind shift since surface winds tend to blow parallel on both sides of the front.
180
When flying through an occluded front, you can expect weather associated with ______ fronts.
both cold and warm
The most severe weather with respect to an occluded front is generally located ______ NM south to ______ NM north of the frontal intersection.
100; 300
A(n) ______ front usually has no clouds or precipitation.
inactive
The area that encompasses the weather located on either side of a front is called the ______.
frontal zone
Every front is located in a _______.
low-pressure trough
What kind of frontal system is depicted by the purple symbols in this graphic?
Occluded front
Which frontal system has a steeper slope?
A cold front
A line of violent thunderstorms that forms ahead of a cold front are known as ______.
squall line
How does the wind normally shift with the passage of a warm front?
SE to SW
What type of weather is usually associated with a stationary front?
Weather similar to a warm front, but usually less intense
What classifies an air mass?
An air mass is a large body of air that has essentially uniform temperature and moisture conditions in a horizontal plane.
What type of air will have a greater potential for producing clouds and precipitation (dry/moist)?
Moist air
What indicates stability of an air mass?
Temperature!
Warm air masses bring stable conditions, while cold air masses are inherently unstable.
Where is the most severe weather located in relation to a front?
Most active weather is focused along and either side of the surface front and the frontal zone
How are fronts named?
Fronts are named according to their associated temperature change.
For example, if the temperature is warmer after frontal passage, it is a warm front.
Three characteristics of fronts are:
- Fronts are always located in a trough of low pressure.
- Cold fronts generally move faster than warm fronts
- Frontal passage usually is accompanied by a 90° shift in wind direction
What is a good indicators of frontal intensity?
The amount and rate of temperature change
Stratiform clouds will usually produce what type of precipitation?
Steady precipitation and little or no turbulence
