Air Masses
This type of air mass forms over warm ocean waters and contains lots of moisture.
mT
This weather map symbol reports temperature, dew point, pressure, wind, and cloud cover all in one place.
Station Model
Clouds and precipitation often form here because warm air is forced upward.
What is a weather front?
Lines connecting places with equal air pressure are called these.
Isobars
These planetary winds blow toward the equator from about 30° latitude.
What are the trade winds?
This air mass is hot and dry because it forms over warm land areas.
cT
A fully shaded circle on a station model indicates this sky condition.
What is overcast/cloudy skies?
This front forms when cold air advances and pushes warm air upward quickly.
What is a cold front?
Closely spaced isobars usually indicate this weather condition.
Strong Winds
These prevailing winds have the greatest influence on New York State's climate.
What are the prevailing southwesterlies (westerlies)?
This type of air mass often brings cool, moist weather to New York State.
mP
This station-model symbol tells whether rain, snow, or other precipitation is occurring.
What is present weather?
This front forms when warm air advances over cooler air.
What is a warm front?
Wind is primarily caused by differences in this atmospheric property.
Air Pressure
Where the trade winds meet near the equator, weather is usually like this.
What is warm and wet?
The first letter in an air-mass symbol describes this characteristic.
Moisture Content
Meteorologists use these units to report air pressure on station models.
What are millibars (mb)?
This type of pressure system is usually associated with clouds and precipitation.
What is a low-pressure system?
Surface winds around a low-pressure center in the Northern Hemisphere generally move in this pattern.
What is counterclockwise and inward?
Earth's rotation causes winds to curve due to this effect.
What is the Coriolis Effect?
The Gulf of Mexico is an example of this type of air-mass source region.
What is a warm, moist source region?
This weather variable tells how far a person can see and is sometimes included on station models.
What is visibility?
This type of front forms when a cold front catches up to a warm front.
What is an occluded front?
The center of a high-pressure system generally experiences these weather conditions.
What are fair, clear weather conditions?
This climate pattern occurs when trade winds weaken and warm water shifts eastward across the Pacific Ocean.
What is El Niño?