Vocab 1
a fast flowing, river of air found in the atmosphere just under the troposphere. It flows west to east
jet stream
Clouds that appear thin and wispy; found in high altitudes (made of ice crystals)
cirrus
What has the greatest effect on wind speed?
air pressure
What type of clouds do you see with a thunderstorm?
Cumulonimbus
What changes from day to night at the beach?
The direction the wind blows
a light wind that blows from the ocean toward the land
sea breeze
Whirling mass of warm, moist air that generally brings stormy weather with strong winds.
low pressure system
What best describes a characteristic of the jet stream
it forms a boundary between a warm air mass and a cold air mass
What happens when a hurricane reaches the Gulf Stream?
The warm water will make the hurricane stronger
From West to East
The warm current that flows from the equator; it originates in the Gulf of Mexico and runs past the east coast of the United States towards Newfoundland
gulf stream
An instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure
barometer
Tyler checks the barometer at his house and notices it is rapidly dropping. What type of weather can he expect to see that day?
rainy, cloudy, lousy
What is the difference between a high pressure system and a low pressure system?
High pressure brings clear sunny skies and a low pressure system brings rain and clouds
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather is a what is going on outside day to day or over a short period of time. Climate is the average daily weather over a long period of time for a certain place.
a weather phenomenon caused when warm water from the western Pacific Ocean flows eastward
El Nino
A cloud forming a towering mass at a fairly low altitude usually producing thunderstorms, heavy rains or hail storms
cumulonimbus
What two things work together to push weather across the United States?
Jet Stream and Prevailing Westerlies
What would happen when a warm front meets a cold front?
Thunderstorms
The weatherman says a warm front is coming in to an area. What type of weather should they expect?
cloudy and rainy with temperatures increasing once the front moves past (no tunderstorms)
a climate pattern that describes the cooling of surface ocean waters along the tropical west coast of South America.
La Nina
Whirling mass of cool, dry air that generally brings fair weather and light winds
high pressure system
What is a stationary front?
It will bring rain that will linger for more than one day
Why are the temperatures at the coast of NC warmer than the temperatures in the middle of the state?
Because the gulf streams warms the ocean which warms up the cities along the coast
How do winds blow at night at the ocean?
blow from the land to the ocean creating the land breeze.