Snow B

Question 1

what is another word for a low pressure system

Answer 1

a cyclone

Question 2

What type of weather is a low pressure system associated with

Answer 2

bad weather, hazardous to ski in

Question 3

what is a low pressure system

Answer 3

a region where air pressure is lower than surrounding regions

Question 4

How is a surface low identified on a pressure weather map

Answer 4

letter L

Question 5

How to identify a low pressure centre without the L

Answer 5

surrounded by higher pressure and completely encircled by at least one isobar.

Question 6

What is a low pressure trough

Answer 6

areas of low pressure that aren’t completely surrounded by high pressure, identified as kinks in an isobar.

Question 7

why are lows and troughs associated with bad weather

Answer 7

winds converge there, because they blow from high pressure to low pressure.

Question 8

Which way do winds go in a low pressure system

Answer 8

counterclockwise

Question 9

what way do winds go in a high pressure system

Answer 9

clockwise.

Question 10

what is a cold front

Answer 10

boundary between warm and cold air masses where cold front is air is advancing.

Question 11

what is wind chill

Answer 11

the apparent temperature due to the combined effects of temperature and wind, because heat leaves the body faster

Question 12

what temperature of wind chill allows for frostbite

Answer 12

• 10 degrees

Question 13

frontal zone

Answer 13

the frontal part of a front, where there is a strong horizontal temperature gradient.

Question 14

where do cold front winds come from

Answer 14

south or southwest

Question 15

where do warm front winds come from

Answer 15

west or northwest

Question 16

What is relative humidity (RH)

Answer 16

ratio of how much moisture is in the air to how much moisture the air is able to hold, expressed as a percentage.

Question 17

condensation occurs when

Answer 17

RH reaches 100% saturation

Question 18

when does cloud formation occur

Answer 18

RH reaches about 70%

Question 19

What happens to your ski day if RH is greater than 90%

Answer 19

little to no visibility

Question 20

undercast

Answer 20

when there is an unbroken layer of clouds below you

Question 21

orographic uplift

Answer 21

when air must lift up to get over a mountain

Question 22

adiabatic

Answer 22

when the air lowers on the other side of a mountain and cools by 10 degrees per kilometre.

Question 23

airmass transformation

Answer 23

the air becomes warmer and dryer on the other side of a mountain

Question 24

lee shadowing

Answer 24

lack of rain and cloud in the lee of a mountain

Question 25

where are wind-sheltered locations

Answer 25

mountain valleys and treed areas

Question 26

stellar dendrite

Answer 26

most recognized snow crystal

Question 27

column or needle snow crystal

Answer 27

looks like a cylinder, long and thin

Question 28

capped column snow crystal

Answer 28

not as common, a needle with flat caps on each side, looks like a capital i

Question 29

diamond dust snow crystal

Answer 29

flat solid shape, with no branches

Question 30

accretion

Answer 30

snow crystal falls through atmosphere, grows when colliding with droplets that stick to it

Question 31

graupel

Answer 31

new snow crystals formed through accretion, unstable

Question 32

aggregation

Answer 32

ice crystals stick to other ice crystals to form irregular shapes

Question 33

snow density

Answer 33

mass of ice and liquid water per volume of snow.

Question 34

what is the density of snow “powder”

Answer 34

100-200

Question 35

what does temperature do to snow density

Answer 35

the higher the temperature, the higher the density.

Question 36

how does wind affect snow density

Answer 36

fast winds mean higher density

Question 37

what is the optimum percent of water in snow for skiing

Answer 37

8%

Question 38

right-side up snow

Answer 38

heavier snow below lighter snow

Question 39

when does right-side up snow form

Answer 39

when temperature or wind decreases over the course of a snow cycle.

Question 40

what is right-side up snow like to ski in

Answer 40

super fun, lifts your skis

Question 41

what is upside down snow

Answer 41

higher density snow on top of lower density snow

Question 42

when does upside down snow occur

Answer 42

if it gets warmer or windier during a snow storm

Question 43

effect of upside down snow on skis

Answer 43

difficult to ski in, skis want to dive down into snow. Snowboarders have no problem

Question 44

what is an avalanche

Answer 44

mass of snow that moves quickly down the mountain