Monitoring Weather

Question 1

Depending on local topography, what is the maximum broadcast range of the NOAA weather radio?

Answer 1

65km

Question 2

Which direction do surface winds blow around a low-pressure system in the Northern Hemisphere?

Answer 2

Counterclockwise and inward

Question 3

How long does it take weather systems to cross the United States on average?

Answer 3

Several days

Question 4

Which direction do weather systems generally travel in the mid-latitudes of the Earth?

Answer 4

East

Question 5

What is another way that air pressure can be thought of?

Answer 5

Weight of the overlying air

Question 6

What do weather radars monitor the movement of?

Answer 6

Precipitation

Question 7

Which direction do surface winds blow around a high-pressure system in the Northern Hemisphere?

Answer 7

Clockwise and outward

Question 8

Do lows that track from west to east across southern Canada generally produce more, less, or the same amount of precipitation compared to lows that track along the Gulf of Mexico coast?

Answer 8

Less

Question 9

When does the day’s minimum temperature occur?

Answer 9

Around sunrise

Question 10

How is water vapour satellite imagery used?

Answer 10

To track the movement of water vapour at higher altitudes of the atmosphere

Question 11

What is the name of a cloud that is in contact with the Earth’s surface?

Answer 11

Fog

Question 12

What are high altitude, wispy-appearing clouds most composed of?

Answer 12

Tiny ice crystals

Question 13

What is the difference between “weather” and “climate”?

Answer 13

Weather is the state of the atmosphere at some place and time, whereas climate is the expected weather of a certain place.

Question 14

What is a warm front?

Answer 14

When advancing warm air slides over cold air

Question 15

What is a cold front?

Answer 15

Advancing cold air pushing under warm air

Question 16

What cloud usually forms from a cold front?

Answer 16

Cumulonimbus

Question 17

At what height does a geostationary satellite usually orbit?

Answer 17

36,000km above the Earth’s surface

Question 18

Where are geostationary satellites the most useful?

Answer 18

In the tropics and subtropics

Question 19

At what height does a polar-orbiting satellite usually orbit?

Answer 19

1000km above the Earth’s surface

Question 20

How many times do sun-synchronous satellites sample each point on Earth?

Answer 20

Twice daily

Question 21

What does visible satellite images show?

Answer 21

Reflected sunlight, which can be used to estimate cloud top heights

Question 22

What is the downside of visible satellite images?

Answer 22

Can only be used during the day

Question 23

What do infrared satellite images show?

Answer 23

Temperature emitting from an object, which can be used to estimate cloud top heights

Question 24

What does a weather radar use to create composite radar images?

Answer 24

Echoes

Question 25

What are low clouds composed of?

Answer 25

Water droplets

Question 26

What are fair-weather cumulus clouds composed of?

Answer 26

Super-cooled water droplets

Question 27

What is a weather watch?

Answer 27

An alert explaining that severe weather may develop

Question 28

What is a weather warning?

Answer 28

An alert explaining that severe weather is occuring

Question 29

What is a special weather statement?

Answer 29

An advisory of weather that may be of some inconvenience or concern