How Do I Read This?
The boundary line between two air masses is called a what?
Front
What is the standard pressure at sea level in "HG on a standard day?
29.92 "HG
When a parcel of air is displaced and accelerates away from its original position, the air is considered to be...
Unstable
Low, long flat clouds indicative of a stable atmosphere are called...
Stratus clouds
What stage of the thunderstorm is characterized by both updrafts and downdrafts?
The mature stage
In which weather advisory might a pilot find information pertaining to moderate turbulence and low level wind shear?
AIRMET
In what layer of the atmosphere is the majority of Earth's weather found?
Troposphere
Air that has good visibility, turbulent airflow, and cumuliform clouds is an indication of what atmospheric stability?
Unstable atmosphere
If 3-4/8 of the sky is covered by clouds, what cloud coverage is reported on a METAR?
SCT or Scattered
How does air flow around a surface high pressure center?
Clockwise or anti-cyclonic
On weather charts reporting wind, the short barb, long barb, and flag represent how many knots of wind, respectively?
5 knot, 10 knot, 50 knot
At what altitude is 50% of the Earth's atmosphere below?
18,000 ft
Wind with at least a 10-knot variation between instantaneous peaks and lulls during the last 10 minutes will be reported as what?
Gust
Cooling by expansion is called ________ cooling.
Adiabatic
If the following three-digit number "370" is found on a Radar Summary Chart, what does that indicate about a thunderstorm?
Precipitation height for that thunderstorm cell is 37,000 ft.
Lines of constant height on a constant pressure chart are called?
Lines of constant pressure on a surface analysis chart are called?
Contours
Isobars
What is the Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate?
3 Degrees Celsius per 1,000 ft.
What three forces affect air motion near the surface?
1. Pressure gradient force
2. Coriolis force
3. Frictional force
What three requirements are needed for cloud formation?
1. Water vapor
2. Cloud condensation nuclei
3. Cooling
What three ingredients are needed for a thunderstorm to develop?
1. Moist air
2. Unstable air
3. Lifting action
Decode this METAR:
KSMF 130855Z 25009KT 4SM RA SCT007 BKN120 04/M02 A2998
Sacramento Airport
13th Day at 08:55 Zulu
Wind: 250 degrees at 9 knots
Visibility: 4 statute miles
Rain
Clouds scattered at 700 ft AGL and broken at 12,000 ft AGL
Temperature 4 degrees Celsius
Dewpoint Minus 2 degrees Celsius
Altimeter 29.98 "HG
The global circulation cell located between 30 degrees and 60 degrees North is called what?
Ferrel Cell
Where on Earth does the Coriolis force have no effect?
The equator
(Vapor Pressure / Saturation Vapor Pressure) x 100 equals what?
Relative Humidity
If a METAR has access to the National Lightning Detection Network and a lightning strike is detected between 5 and 10 NM from the airport, how is that reported in a METAR?
VCTS