Weather Theory Flashcards
Air travels which direction around a high pressure system?
Clockwise
In a low pressure system air circles which direction due to the Coriolis Force?
Counter clockwise
What are the three stages of a thunderstorm?
What’s happening in each stage?
Cumulus - lifting action of the air begins
Mature - rain or ice begin falling
Dissipating - top of cloud spreads out, downdrafts spread out and replace updrafts needed to sustain the storm and the cell dies
What is the most violent stage of this thunderstorms life cycle?
Mature stage
A good rule of thumb is to circumnavigate thunderstorms identified as ________ or giving an _________ _______ ______ by at least _____ since _____ may fall for ______ outside of the clouds.
severe
extreme radar echo
20 NM
hail
miles
What are the three conditions required for the formation of thunderstorms?
- Sufficient water vapor
- Unstable lapse rate
- Initial lifting action
Some thunderstorms occur at random in unstable air, last for only an hour or two, and produce only moderate wind gusts and rainfall. These are known as what?
They are generally a result of…
Air mass thunderstorms
surface heating.
This type of thunderstorm is associated with weather systems (fronts, converging winds, troughs aloft) forcing upward motion that often form into squall lines. In the mature stage, updrafts become stronger and last much longer than in air mass thunderstorms, hence their name.
Steady-state thunderstorms
What are the hazards associated with thunderstorms?
THIS LLWS H
- Tornadoes
- Hail
- Icing
- Strong updrafts, downdrafts
- Limited visibility
- Lightning
- Wind shear
- Severe turbulence
- Heavy rain
Cumulus clouds are formed in ________ air and look fluffy or bumpy.
unstable
Stratus clouds are formed in ________ air and look stratified or layered.
stable
Nimbo or nimbus means ______ cloud.
rain
High clouds are found between 16,500 feet and 45,000 feet in the middle latitudes and are called ________ clouds.
Name 3 types.
C
A
S
cirriform
Cirrus
Cirrocumulus
Cirrostratus
Middle clouds exist between 6,500 feet and 23,000 feet in the middle latitudes and are usually prefixed with _____ and include ___________ and ____________.
C
A
S
alto
altostratus
altocumulus
Low clouds extend from the surface to about 6,500 feet and include _______, ______________, and ___________.
C
A
S
stratus
stratocumulus
nimbostratus
Clouds with extensive vertical development may extend from 1,000 feet above the surface to as high as 60,000 feet include ________ and ____________ (thunderstorms) if they contain _____.
cumulus
cumulonimbus
rain
A front is the boundary between two ___ _____ with different ____________.
air masses
temperatures
A cold front occurs when advancing _____ air displaces _____ air.
cold
warm
A warm front occurs when advancing _____ air displaces a _____ air mass.
warm
cold