Weather Information Flashcards
What happens to temperature as altitude changes
2c decrease per 1,000 feet gained
What happens to pressure as altitude changes
1in drop per 1,000 feet gained
What direction does air move to
High to low
Describe High-pressure areas
-Cool air
-Clockwise rotation
-Dry air
-More stable
-Typically associated with better weather
Describe Low-pressure areas
-Warm air
-Counter-clockwise rotation
-Can hold more moisture
-Less stable
-Bad weather
What is a front
A boundary between two air masses
Describe warm fronts
-Force cold air out (rises above)
-Slow moving
-Easier to predict
-Lots of humidity (rain)
-Long rain drizzle
-Stratonimbus/Alto clouds
-Poor visibility
-Clouds spread out
What are the types of fronts?
-Warm
-Cool
-Stationary
-Occluded
Describe cold fronts
-Pushes warm air out (pushes under)
-Fast moving
-Depending on warm air stability towering cumulus/cirrus clouds may form.
-More intense
-Can cause thunderstorms (cumulonimbus)
Because the cool air is moving so rapidly and pushing the warm air, an unstable lapse rate forms causing the possibility of cumulonimbus clouds and thunderstorms
Is cold air or warm air more dense
Cold air is more dense (sinks)
What are squall lines
a fast-moving system of thunderstorms in a long, narrow line formation typically along a cold front
How does a stationary front form?
When the cold and warm front are at equal power
What weather can be expected
-Possible stormy weather for days
-A mixture of cold and warm front weather
How does an occluded front form?
When a cold front catches up to a warm front
What types of occluded fronts are there? Which is worse?
-Cold Front Occlusion
-Warm Front Occlusions (embedded thunderstorms, worse weather)
How does a Warm or Cold front occlusion occur?
Cold Front Occlusion- Cold air is cooler than warm air pushing it under
Warm Front Occlusions- When the air behind the cold front is actually not as cold as the cool air mass ahead of the warm front
What types of clouds are there?
-Low level (VFR, 6,500 AGL)
Fog,Stratus,Nimbostratus
-Medium Level
Altocumulus, Altostratus
-High Level
Cirrus Clouds
-Extensive Vertical Development
Cumulonimbus clouds
What does nimbus mean?
Rain clouds
What causes cumulonimbus clouds?
-Substantial vertical development
-Extremely high lapse rate
what is Temperature Inversion
When the air rapidly cools (ex. night) and gets stuck close to the surface
What type of weather is associated with stratiform clouds
-Steady precipitation
-Little to no turbulence
-Low visibility
What type of front is common in the summer?
-Warm fronts
-Big lapse rate
-Causes towering cumulonimbus and thunderstorms
Because of the high humidity and rising force, are likely to cause unstable lapse rates and thunderstorms.
