Skew-T
Skew-T graphs are diagrams that plot the upper air. How is this data collected?
What are weather balloons?
The transformation of liquid water to water vapor is called...
What is evaporation?
Clouds are named to describe what 3 characteristics?
What is shape, altitude and precipitation?
Name the cloud in the image given by Ms. McKeag.
What is cirrus?
This type of precipitation has 6 sided crystals due to the deposition of water vapor to ice.
What is snow?
Because atmospheric temperatures decrease quickly with height, what is done to the isotherms in order to keep Skew-T graphs readable?
The isotherms (temperature readings) are slanted or “skewed,” by 45 degrees.
This is the layer of the atmosphere clouds form in...
What is the troposphere?
Clouds with vertical growth have these two names...
Cumulus & Cumulonimbus
Name the cloud in the image given by Ms. McKeag.
What is altocumulus?
This type of precipitation is small droplets of rain that are >0.05mm and form from fog and stratus clouds.
What is drizzle?
Clouds are likely to form when dew point and temperature lines come into close contact with one another on a Skew-T graph. Analyze the Skew-T given by Ms. McKeag and decided if cloud formation is likely and at what altitude.
Yes. Around 5 km
The moisture that forms as a result of condensation is called...
What is dew?
The prefix "alto-" is used to describe clouds at what altitude?
Middle Level (6,500 - 20,000 ft)
What is the name for a low level blanket cloud that snows?
What is nimbostratus?
Raindrops form as small cloud droplets collide to form larger droplets that fall due to gravity. This is called...
What is coalescence?
Wind barbs depict the direction and speed of winds at certain levels in the atmosphere. They are most helpful when determining which types of clouds are able to form. Interpret the wind bard given by Ms. McKeag by explaining the cloud cover, direction, and speed.
Sky completely covered, wind NE, 25 knots.
Solid particles in the atmosphere on which water vapor condenses is called...
What is condensation nuclei?
The word "stratus" describes what characteristics?
What is a layered, low altitude cloud?
A high altitude, layered cloud made of ice crystals is called...
Explain the difference between freezing rain and sleet.
Freezing rain melts as it approaches Earth and hits the ground as a liquid. Sleet begins as rain, but freezes as it approaches Earth, hitting the ground as a solid.
The 5 factors represented on Skew-T graphs are...
What is temperature, dew point, wind speed, wind direction, and air pressure?
The 4 steps of cloud formation, in order, are...
1. Water leaves Earth's surface via Evaporation or Transpiration
2. Moist air rises
3. Air cools to its dew point
4. Moist air condenses on condensation nuclei
Why are "cirrus" or "cirro" clouds unable to produce precipitation? Use composition (what is the cloud made of) & cloud height in your answer.
They do not contain enough water at such a high altitude.
Name the cloud in the image given by Ms. McKeag. (HINT: It happens to be her favorite and resembles a stack of pancakes)
What are lenticular clouds?
List the 5 steps of hail formation in order.
1. Starts as rain
2. Droplets are pulled into the updraft of a cloud
3. Reaches freezing level and and freezes on freezing nuclei
4. Circles through the cloud again and again
5. Eventually gravity takes over and it falls to the ground.