Weather Tools and Symbols

Question 1

Air mass

Answer 1

A giant mass of air that takes space.

Question 2

Maritime Polar Air

Answer 2

Maritime polar air masses are cool, moist, and unstable. Some maritime polar air masses originate as continental polar air masses over Asia and move westward over the Pacific, collecting warmth and moisture from the ocean.

Question 3

Continental Tropical Air

Answer 3

The source region for cT air is the desert Southwest, the high plains and Mexico with relation to the United States. The air has low dewpoints and warm to hot afternoon temperatures but with mild nighttime temperature. Skies are generally clear in cT air.

Question 4

Continental Polar Air

Answer 4

Continental Polar Air Masses are cold temperatures and little moisture. Those who live in northern portions of the United States expect cold weather during the winter months. These conditions usually result from the invasion of cold arctic air masses that originate from the snow covered regions of northern Canada.

Question 5

Maritime Tropical Air

Answer 5

Maritime tropical air masses originate over the warm waters of the tropics and Gulf of Mexico, where heat and moisture are transferred to the overlying air from the waters below. The northward movement of tropical air masses transports warm moist air into the United States, increasing the potential for precipitation.

Question 6

Anemometer

Answer 6

An instrument for measuring the speed of the wind, or of any current of gas.

Question 7

Hygrometer

Answer 7

An instrument for measuring the humidity of the air or a gas.

Question 8

Barometer

Answer 8

An instrument measuring atmospheric pressure, used especially in forecasting the weather and determining altitude.

Question 9

Rain Gauge

Answer 9

A device for collecting and measuring the amount of rain that falls.

Question 10

Radar

Answer 10

It is a type of radar used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, and estimate its type.

Question 11

Wind vane

Answer 11

A wind vane is a device that measures the direction of the wind. The wind vane is usually combined with the anemometer. Wind direction is the direction from which the wind is blowing.

Question 12

Fronts

Answer 12

A front is a transition zone between two air masses. A cold front is a warm-cold air boundary with the colder air replacing the warmer. As a cold front moves into an area, the heavier cool air pushes under the lighter warm air that it is replacing.

Question 13

Warm Front

Answer 13

The boundary of an advancing mass of warm air, in particular the leading edge of the warm sector of a low-pressure system.

Question 14

Cold Front

Answer 14

The boundary of an advancing mass of cold air, in particular the trailing edge of the warm sector of a low-pressure system.