Air Masses and Fronts
An extremely deep cold air mass which develops mostly in winter over arctic surfaces of ice and snow.
What is an Artic Air mass
Is the rate at which the air parcel cools as it is lifted in the atmosphere
What is lapse rate
High-level clouds that form above 20,000 feet (6,000 meters) and are usually composed of ice crystals
What are Cirriform clouds
This precipitation type occurs when the temperature remains below freezing throughout the entire depth of the atmosphere
What is Snow
Is caused by convective currents, obstructions in the wind flow, and wind shear.
What is Turbulence
The effect of any lake in modifying the weather near its shore and for some distance downwind
What is Lake Effect
The lapse rate of a rising, unsaturated parcel is approximately?
What is 3 Degrees C per 1000 feet?
These clouds typically form between 7,000 and 15,000 feet (2,100 to 4,600 meters) and bring steady precipitation.
What is Nimbus Clouds
This precipitation type occurs when there is a shallow layer aloft with above-freezing temperatures and with a deep layer of below-freezing air based at the surface. As snow falls into the shallow warm layer, the snowflakes partially melt. As the precipitation reenters air that is below freezing
What is Ice Pellets or Sleet
These clouds, usually seen over land during sunny afternoons, are signposts in the sky indicating convective turbulence.
What are Billowy cumuliform clouds
A boundary or transition zone between two air masses.
What is a Front
Is the level at which a parcel of moist air lifted adiabatically becomes saturated. At this altitude, the temperature-dewpoint spread is 0 and relative humidity is 100%.
What is the Lifting Condensation Level.
Clouds that look like white, fluffy cotton balls or heaps and show the vertical motion or thermal uplift of air taking place in the atmosphere.
What are Cumuliform clouds
Is the change in wind speed and/or direction, usually in the vertical.
What is Wind Shear
This atmospheric disturbance is a form of mechanical turbulence that can extend for 600 miles or more.
What is a Mountain Wave
A low-pressure circulation that forms and moves along a front. The circulation about the cyclone center tends to produce a wavelike kink along the front
What is a Wave Cyclone or Mid-latitude cyclone
Occurs when the cold, denser air wedges under the warm, less dense air, plowing it upward, and/or the warmer air rides up and over the colder air in a process called overrunning. Cloud and precipitation will form given sufficient lift and moisture content of the warm air.
What is Frontal Lift
Is a cloud type in the form of a gray layer with a fairly uniform base. This type does not usually produce precipitation, but when it does occur, it is in the form of minute particles, such as drizzle, ice crystals, or snow grains
What is Stratus Clouds
Is a dust storm or sandstorm that forms as cold downdrafts from a thunderstorm turbulently lift dust and sand into the air
What is a Haboob
Is an often dangerous convective storm that consists primarily of a single, quasi-steady rotating updraft that persists for an extended period of time. It has a very organized internal structure that enables it to produce especially dangerous weather for pilots who encounter them
What is a Supercell Thunderstorm
Is a composite of two fronts as a cold front overtakes a warm or stationary front.
What is an occluded front
Occurs when air masses are forced to flow over high topography. As air rises over mountains, it cools and water vapor condenses. As a result, it is common for rain to be concentrated on the windward side of mountains, and for rainfall to increase with elevation in the direction of storm tracks.
What is the Orographic Effect
Is a cloud type, exceptionally dense and vertically developed, occurring either as isolated clouds or as a line or wall of clouds with separated upper portions. These clouds appear as mountains or huge towers with the upper portions flattened as it approaches the Tropopause.
What is Cumulonimbus
This Cloud is the most frequent cloud associated with low ceilings. These clouds, like fog, are composed of extremely small water droplets or ice crystals suspended in air. An observer on a mountain in this cloud layer would call it fog. This cloud type and fog frequently exist together. In many cases, there is no real line of distinction between the fog and This cloud;
What is Stratus Cloud
In a supercell thunderstorm, what speeds may the updraft reach?
What is 9,000 Feet per minute or 100 knots.