Weather Flashcards
If an unstable mass is forced upwards, what type of clouds can be expected?
A. Stratus clouds with little vertical distance.
B. Stratus clouds with considerable associated Turbulence.
C. Clouds with considerable vertical distance and associated turbulence.
C. Clouds with considerable vertical distance and associated turbulence.
What causes variations in altimeter settings between weather reporting points?
A. Coriolis Force
B. Variation of terrain elevation
C. Unequal heating of the earths surface
C. Unequal heating of the earths surface
What situation is most conductive to the formation of radiation fog?
A. Moist, tropical air over cold, offshore water.
B. Warm, moist over low, flatland areas on clear, calm nights.
C. The movement of cold air over much warmer water.
B. Warm, moist over low, flatland areas on clear, calm nights.
The wind of 5,000 feet AGL, is southwesterly while the surface wind is southerly. This difference in direction is primarily due to?
A. Strong pressure gradient at higher altitudes.
B. Strong Coriolis Force at the surface.
C. Friction between the wind and the surface.
C. Friction between the wind and the surface.
Crest of standing mountain waves may be marked by stationary, lens-shaped clouds known as:
A. Standing lenticular clouds
B. Mammatocumulus clouds
C. Roll clouds
A. Standing lenticular clouds
The boundary between two different air masses is referred to as a:
A. Frontogenesis
B. Frontolysis
C. Front
C. Front
Which conditions result in the formation of frost?
A. The temperature of the collecting surface is at or below the dew point of the adjacent air and the dew point is below freezing.
B. The temperature of the surrounding air is at or below freezing when small drops of moisture fall on the collecting surface.
C. The temperature of the collecting surface is at or below freezing when small droplets of moisture falls on the surface
A. The temperature of the collecting surface is at or below the dew point of the adjacent air and the dew point is below freezing.
When may hazardous win shear be expected?
A. When stable air crosses a mountain barrier where it tends to flow in layers forming lenticular clouds.
B. Following frontal passage when stratocumulus clouds form indicating mechanical mixing.
C in areas of low-level temperature inversion, frontal zones, and clear air turbulence.
C in areas of low-level temperature inversion, frontal zones, and clear air turbulence.
A pilot can expect a wind-shear zone in a temperature inversion whenever the wind speed at 2,000 to 4,000 feet above the surface is at least
A. 25 knots
B. 15 knots.
C. 10 knots.
A. 25 knots.
Clouds, fog, or dew will always form when.
A. Water vapor is present
B. Relative humidity reaches 100 percent
C. Water vapor condenses.
C. Water vapor condenses.
The suffix “nimbus,” used in naming clouds, means
A. A cloud with extensive vertical development
B. A middle cloud containing ice pellets
C. A rain cloud
C. A rain cloud.
What conditions are necessary for the formation of thunderstorms?
A. Lifting force, moist air, and extensive cloud cover.
B. High humidity, lifting force, and unstable conditions.
C. High humidity, high temperature, and cumulus clouds
B. High humidity, lifting force, and unstable conditions.
What are characteristics of moist, unstable air mass?
A. Cumuliform clouds and showers precipitation.
B. Poor visibility and smooth air
C. Stratified clouds and showery precipitation
A. Cumuliform clouds and showers precipitation.
Convective circulation patterns associated with sea breezes are caused by
A. Water absorbing and radiating hear faster than the land
B. Warm, dense air moving inland from over the water.
C. Cool, dense air moving inland from over the water.
C. Cool, dense air moving inland from over the water.
On of the most easily recognized discontinues access a front is.
A. An increase in cloud coverage.
B. An increase in relative humidity
C. A change in temperature.
C. A change in temperature.
What measurement can be used to determine the stability of the atmosphere?
A. Actual lapse rate
B. Atmospheric pressure
C. Surface temperature
A. Actual lapse rate
In which situation is advection fog most likely to form?
A. An air mass moving inland from the coast in winter.
B. A warm, moist air mass on the windward side of mountains.
C. A light breeze blowing colder air out to the sea.
A. An air mass moving inland from the coast in winter.
One in-flight condition necessary for structural icing to form is
A. Visible moisture
B. Small temperature /dew point spread
C. Stratified clouds
A. Visible moisture
What is the approximate base of the cumulus clouds if the surface air temperature at 1,000 feet MSL is 70 F degrees and the dew point is at 48f degrees?
A. 5,000 feet MSL
B. 6,000 feet MSL
C. 4,000 feet MSL
B. 6,000 feet MSL
Which weather conditions should be expected beneath a low level temperature inversion layer when the relative humidity is high?
A. Smooth air, poor visibility, fog, haze, or low clouds.
B. Turbulent air, poor visibility, fog, low stratus type clouds, and showery precipitation.
C. Light wind shear, poor visibility, haze, and light rain.
A. Smooth air, poor visibility, fog, haze, or low clouds.
The development of thermals depend upon
A. A counterclockwise circulation of air
B. Temperature inversions
C. Solar heating
C. Solar heating
What cloud types would indicate convective turbulence?
A. Nimbostratus clouds
B. Towering cumulus clouds
C. Cirrus clouds
B. Towering cumulus clouds
The amount of water vapor which air can hold depends on the
A. Dew point
B. Air temperature
C. Stability of the air
B. Air temperature
What clouds have the greatest turbulence?
A. Towering cumulus
B. Cumulonimbus
C. Nimbostratus
B. Cumulonimbus
Steady precipitation proceeding a front is an indication of.
A. Stratiform clouds with little or no turbulence
B. Stratiform clouds with moderate turbulence
C. Cumuli form clouds with little or no turbulence.
A. Stratiform clouds with little or no turbulence
What is meant by the term dew point?
A. The temperature at which condensation and evaporation are equal.
B. The temperature at which dew will always form.
C. The temperature to which air must be cooled to become saturated
C. The temperature to which air must be cooled to become saturated
Which weather phenomenon signals the beginning of the mature stage of a thunderstorm?
A. The appearance of an anvil top.
B. Maximum growth rate of the clouds.
C. Precipitation beginning to fall
C. Precipitation beginning to fall
During the life cycle of a thunderstorm, which state is characterized predominately by downdrafts
A. Mature
B. Cumulus
C. Dissipating
C. Dissipating
In which environment is aircraft structural ice most likely to have the highest accumulation rate?
A. Freezing drizzle
B. Freezing rain
C. Cumulus clouds with below freezing temperatures
B. Freezing rain
What is the characteristic of stable air?
A. Unlimited visibility
B. Cumulus clouds
C. Stratified clouds
C. Stratified clouds
The most frequent type of ground or surface-based temperature inversion is that which is produced by
A. Warm air being lifted rapidly aloft in the vicinity of mountainous of warm over cold air.
B. The movement of colder air under warm air, or the movement of warm air over cold air.
C. Terrestrial radiation on a clear, relatively still night.
C. Terrestrial radiation on a clear, relatively still night.
What are the characteristics of unstable air?
A. Nimbostratus clouds and good surface visibility.
B. Turbulence and poor surface visibility
C. Turbulence and good surface visibility
C. Turbulence and good surface visibility
Possible mountain wave turbulence could be anticipated when winds for 40 knots or greater blow
A. Across a mountain ridge, and the air is stable
B. Parallel to a mountain peek, and the air is stable.
C. Down a mountain valley and the air is unstable.
A. Across a mountain ridge, and the air is stable
A non-frontal, narrow band of active thunderstorms that often develop ahead of a cold front is know as as
A. Squall line
B. Prefrontal system
C. Dry line
A. Squall line
What feature is normally associated with the cumulus stage of a thunderstorm
A. Roll cloud
B. Continuous updraft
C. Frequent lightning
B. Continuous updraft
When warm, moist, stable air fled upslope, if
A. Develops convective turbulence
B. Causes showers and thunderstorms
C. Produces stratus type clouds.
C. Produces stratus type clouds.
Where does winds shear occur?
A. At all altitudes, in all directions.
B. Only at lower altitudes
C. Only at higher altitudes
A. At all altitudes, in all directions.
The presence of ice pellets at the surface is evidence that there
A. Are thunderstorms in the area
B. Has been cold frontal passage.
C. Is a temperature inversion with freezing rain at a higher altitude
C. Is a temperature inversion with freezing rain at a higher altitude
The destination airport has one runway, 08-26, and the wind is calm. The normal approach in calm wind is a left hand pattern to runway 08. There is no other traffic at the airport. A thunderstorm about 6 miles west is beginning its mature stage, and rain is starting to reach the ground. The pilot decides to
A. Fly the normal pattern to runway 08 since the storm is west and moving north and and any unexpected wind will be from the east or southeast toward the storm.
B. Fly an approach to runway 26 since any unexpected wind due to the storm will be westerly
C. Fly the pattern to runway 08 since the storm is too far away to affect the wind at the airport.
B. Fly an approach to runway 26 since any unexpected wind due to the storm will be westerly
Thunderstorms reach their greatest intensify during the
A. Cumulus stage
B. Downdraft stage
C. Mature stage
C. Mature Stage
At approximately what altitude above the surface would the pilot expect the base of cumuliform clouds of the surface air temperature is 82 degrees F and the dew point is 38 degrees F?
A. 9,000 feet AGL
B. 11,000 feet AGL
C. 10,000 feet AGL.
C. 10,000 feet AGL
Low-level turbulence can occur and icing can become hazardous in which type of fog?
A. Rain-induced fog
B. Upslope fog
C. Steam fog
C. Steam fog
Every physical process of weather is accompanied by, or is the result of, a
A. Movement of air
B. Heat exchange
C. Pressure differential
B. Heat exchange
What types of fog depend upon wind in order to exist?
A. Radiation fog and ice fog
B. Steam fog and ground fog
C. Advection fog and upslope fog
C. Advection fog and upslope fog
What would decrease the stability of an air mass?
A. Decrease in water vapor
B. Cooling from below
C. Warming from below
C. Warming from below
Clouds are divided into four families according to their
A. Composition
B. Outward shape
C. Height range
C. Height range
The mature stage of a thunderstorm begins with
A. Formation of the anvil top
B. Continuous downdrafts
C. The start of precipitation
C. The start of precipitation
What are the processes by which moisture is added to unsaturated air
A. Evaporation and sublimation
B. Hearing and condensation
C. Supersaturation and evaporation
A. Evaporation and sublimation
Which weather phenomenon is always associated with a thunderstorm?
A. Heavy rain
B. Lightning
C. Hail
B. Lightning
What feature is associated with a temperature inversion?
A. Chinook winds on mountain slopes
B. An unstable layer of air
C. A stable layer of air
C. A stable layer of air
A stable air mass is most likely to have which characteristic?
A. Showery precipitation
B. Poor surface visibility
C. Turbulent air
B. Poor surface visibility
An almond or lens shaped. Loud which appears stationary, but which may contain winds of 50 knots or more, is referred to as
A. An inactive frontal cloud
B. A lenticular cloud
C. A funnel cloud
B. A lenticular cloud
One weather phenomenon which will always o cud when flying Cross a front is a change in the
A. Wind direction
B. Type of precipitation
C. Stability of the air mass
A. Wind direction
When there is a temperature inversion, you would expect to experience
A. An increase in temperature as altitude increases
B. Good visibility in the lower levels of the atmosphere and poor visibility above an inversion aloft
C. Clouds with extensive vertical development above an inversion aloft
A. An increase in temperature as altitude increases
Thunderstorms which generally produce the most intense hazard to aircraft are
A. Warm front thunderstorms
B. Steady-state thunderstorms
C. Squall line thunderstorms
C. Squall line thunderstorms
The conditions necessary for the formation of cumulonimbus clouds are a lifting action and
A. Unstable air containing an excess of condensation nuclei
B. Unstable, moist air
C. Either stable or unstable air
B. Unstable, moist air
If the temperature/dewpoint spread is small and decreasing, and the temperature is 62 degrees F, what type of weather is most likely to develop
A. Freezing precipitation
B. Thunderstorms
C. Fog or low clouds
C. Fog or low clouds
If there is thunderstorm activity in the vicinity of an airport at which you plant to land, which hazardous atmosphere phenomenon might be expected on the landing approach?
A. Precipitation static
B. Steady rain
C. Wind-shear turbulence
C. Wind-shear turbulence
Of what value is the Weather depiction chart to the pilot?
A. For a forecast of cloud coverage, visibilities, and frontal activity
B. For determining general weather conditions on which to base flight planning.
C. For determining frontal trends and air mass characteristics
B. For determining general weather conditions on which to base flight planning.
What information is contained in a CONVECTIVE SIGMET?
A. Surface winds greater than 40 knots or thunderstorms equal to or great than video integrator processor (VIP) level 4.
B. Severe icing, severe turbulence, or widespread dust storms lowering visibility to less than 3 miles.
C. Tornadoes, embedded thunderstorms, and hail 3/4 inch or greater in diameter
B. Severe icing, severe turbulence, or widespread dust storms lowering visibility to less than 3 miles
SIGNETs are issued as a warning of weather conditions hazardous to which aircraft?
A. Small aircraft only
B. Large aircraft only
C. All aircraft
C. All aircraft
From which primary source should information be obtained regarding expected weather at the estimated time of arrival if your destination has no Terminal Forecast?
A. Area Forecast
B. Weather Depiction Chart
C. Low-Level Prognostic Chart
A. Area Forecast
Which in-flight advisory would contain information on severe icing not associated with thunderstorms?
A. Connective SIGMET
B. AIRMET
C. SIGMET
C. SIGMET
Below FL 180, en route weather advisories should be obtained from an FSS on
A. 123.6 MHz
B. 122.1. MHz
C. 122.0 MHz
C. 122.0 MHz
To determine the freezing level and areas of probable icing aloft, the pilot should refer to the
A. Inflight aviation weather advisories
B. Weather depiction Chart
C. Area Forecast
A. Inflight aviation weather advisories
How are significant weather prognostic charts best used by a pilot?
A. For overall planning at all altitudes
B. For analyzing current frontal activity and cloud coverage
C. For determining areas to avoid
C. For determining areas to avoid
The section of the Area Forecast entitled “VFR CLDS/WX” contains a general description of
A. Cloudiness and weather significant to flight operations broken down by states or other geographical areas
B. Forecast sky cover, cloud tops, visibility, and obstructions to vision along specific routes
C. Clouds and weather which cover an area greater than 3,000 square miles and is significant to VFR flight operations
C. Clouds and weather which cover an area greater than 3,000 square miles and is significant to VFR flight operations
Radar weather reports are of special interest to pilots because they indicate
A. Large areas of low ceilings and fog
B. Location of precipitation along its type, intensity, and trend
C. Location of precipitation along with toe, intensity, and cell movement of precipitation.
C. Location of precipitation along with toe, intensity, and cell movement of precipitation.
For aviation purposes, ceiling is defined as the height above the Earth’s surface of the
A. Lowest layer or clouds reported as scattered, broken, or thin
B. Lowest reported obscurantism and the highest layer of clouds reported as overcast
C. Lowest broken or overcast may or vertical visibility into an obscuration
C. Lowest broken or overcast may or vertical visibility into an obscuration
To best determine general Forecast weather conditions covering a flight information regional the pilot should refer to
A. Aviation area forecasts
B. Weather depiction charts
C. Satellite maps
A. Aviation area forecasts
What service should a pilot normally expect from Flight Watch?
A. Actual weather information and thunderstorm activity along the route
B. Preferential touring and radar vectoring to circumnavigate severe weather
C. Severe weather information, changes to flight plans, and receipt of routine position reports
A. Actual weather information and thunderstorm activity along the route
When speaking to an ADSS weather briefed, you should state
A. The pilot in commands full name and address
B. A summary of your qualifications
C. Whether the flight is VFR or IFR
C. Whether the flight is VFR or IFR
If the terrain elevation is 1,295 feet MSL, what is the height above ground level of the base of the ceiling?
A. 6,585 feet AGL
B. 1,295 feet AGL
C. 505 feet AGL
C. 505 feet AGL
AIRMETs are advisories of significant weather phenomena but of lower intensities than SIGMETs and are intended for dissemination to
A. Only VFR pilots.
B. All pilots
C. Only IFR pilots
B. All pilots
What is indicated when a current CONVECTIVE SIGMET Forecast thunderstorms?
A. Thunderstorms obscured by massive cloud layers
B. Moderate thunderstorms covering 30 percent of the area
C. Moderate or severe turbulence
A. Thunderstorms obscured by massive cloud layers
