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WX 301 Final Test questions with
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Globally, TS are most common - ANSWERS✔✔ Over tropical land masses to get a thunderstorm, we need each of the following three conditions - ANSWERS✔✔ Unstable air, a lifting mechanism, and low, level moisture over tropical oceans, most TS occur - ANSWERS✔✔ just before dawn An air mass TS has mostly updrafts and surface flow toward the storm at the __________ stage - ANSWERS✔✔ cumulus TS are most common over Iowa - ANSWERS✔✔ around sunset In the US, most thunderstorms occur in____over____ - ANSWERS✔✔ Summer, florida An air mass TS typically lasts - ANSWERS✔✔ 30-60 minuntes Near a dissipating air mass TS with precipitation, the horizontal surface air flow near the TS is tipically - ANSWERS✔✔ away from the TS Cumulonimbus literally means - ANSWERS✔✔ heaped rain producing clouds when flying at night, the best way to be alerted that severe TS are within 50 miles of me is - ANSWERS✔✔ frequent lightning The outer edge of the expanding cold air below a thunderstorm is called - ANSWERS✔✔ the outflow boundry
TS over the desert southwest are most common during - ANSWERS✔✔ mid-afternoon At the outer edge of the expanding cold air (near a TS) we find the - ANSWERS✔✔ gust front For a multi-cell TS with low level flow from the south, new cells typically form - ANSWERS✔✔ south of the mature cell Severe super cell TS comprise about _____% of all TS - ANSWERS✔✔ 1% Severe supercell convection is most common - ANSWERS✔✔ over the great plains during late afternoon and evening in April-June A shelf cloud is - ANSWERS✔✔ a shelf-like cloud that forms above a gust front in the updraft south of a multi-cell TS Compared with air mass TS, multi and supercell TS - ANSWERS✔✔ have more vertical shear what does the supercell have that a multicell storm lacks? - ANSWERS✔✔ rotation For a sever supercell TS to form over the great plains, one would expect the 5,000 AGL wind to be - ANSWERS✔✔ 190/ Severe convection is most likely when the atmosphere is warm and ____near the surface and cold and _____dry aloft, with ____vertical wind shear - ANSWERS✔✔ moist, dry, strong Supercell thunderstorms are most conmon - ANSWERS✔✔ in the warm sector, east of the cold front
Mesoscale convective complexes over the US are most common - ANSWERS✔✔ over the great plains in July/August The most likely vertical wind profile associated with a Mesoscale convective complex is
- ANSWERS✔✔ moderate southerly at the surface, lighter variable winds higher up Tornadoes are most common in (month range) - ANSWERS✔✔ April to June Which of the following phenomena are not associated with tornados - ANSWERS✔✔ air mass TS advance warning of an imminent tornado is provided by - ANSWERS✔✔ a hook echo in radar imagery and the appearance of a wall cloud Most severe tornado damage is related to - ANSWERS✔✔ suction vortices For s tornado moving toward the NE, strongest tornado winds will be on the _____ side of the tornado - ANSWERS✔✔ southeast Tornado wind speed is estimated using the _____ scale - ANSWERS✔✔ Fujita Suction Vortices are - ANSWERS✔✔ smaller vortices within a tornado funnel small hail is most common - ANSWERS✔✔ over high ground in the western half of the country A weak echo region signifies - ANSWERS✔✔ powerful updraft and chance of large hail large hail (>.75") is most common - ANSWERS✔✔ over the great plains
Severe supercell thunderstorms with large hail, are mostly found - ANSWERS✔✔ over the great plains in the spring What is the correct sequence of a lightning stroke - ANSWERS✔✔ stepped leader, return stroke, thunder what is the most visible part of a lightning stroke? - ANSWERS✔✔ the return stroke Flying at low levels through a micro burst, I will experience a _______ followed by a _________ - ANSWERS✔✔ headwind, tailwind If I have to fly at 35000ft around a severe supercell TS over the great plains, the safest side is - ANSWERS✔✔ the west side Above a TS anvil, turbulence is most commonly found - ANSWERS✔✔ near and down stream of the overshooting top Severe TS are likely for K-index values - ANSWERS✔✔ above about 50 WE can get information about the lifted index and the k-index from - ANSWERS✔✔ a LI/K-index chart The temperature at Prescott is 76.4 degrees F and the dew point is 50 degrees F. Cumulus clouds will have their base closest to ______ AGL - ANSWERS✔✔ 6000ft Rising parcels of air inside a cumulus cloud, cool at - ANSWERS✔✔ the saturated adiabatic tapes rate A K-index of minus 50 means - ANSWERS✔✔ TS are extremely likely If the parcel is to the right of the environment temperature, then - ANSWERS✔✔ TS are likely and the lifting index is negative
which situation has the strongest turbulence? - ANSWERS✔✔ windy afternoon in the summer what situation has the greatest turbulence? - ANSWERS✔✔ over mountains Near the surface, the onset of turbulence from solar heating tends to ________ visibility during the day because__________________ - ANSWERS✔✔ improve, turbulence mixes surface pollutants in the vertical, reducing their concentration Mechanical turbulence is strongest just ______ from obstacles in the flow - ANSWERS✔✔ downwind over flat terrain, mechanical turbulence is strongest_________, thermal turbulence is strongest __________ - ANSWERS✔✔ near the surface, about 3000 feet above the surface Strong downdrafts and loss of altitude are commonly experienced on the ______ side of a mountain - ANSWERS✔✔ downwind During a period when there is a consistent moderate wind at 3000 ft AGL, the surface wind is strongest at _________. This is because of ___________. - ANSWERS✔✔ 3pm, enhanced turbulent downward mixing During a period when there is a consistent moderate wind at 3000 ft AGL, vertical wind shear is strongest at _________. - ANSWERS✔✔ Dawn For a jet at 35000ft, clear air turbulence is most likely at _________ on the north side and at ______ on the south side. - ANSWERS✔✔ 32,000, 38000 mountain wave turbulence is found _____ of the mountain - ANSWERS✔✔ near and downstream, near the surface and near the tropopause
The area of severe low-level turbulence downstream from the hydraulic jump is called a - ANSWERS✔✔ rotor requirements for icing are - ANSWERS✔✔ aircraft skin must be colder than 0 degrees C and be in a cloud containing super cool water droplets clear ice is most common for temperatures between - ANSWERS✔✔ 0 and -10 degrees C The highest rate of aircraft icing is found near the _________ of a stratiform cloud layer.
- ANSWERS✔✔ Top As air temperature gets colder, freezing _____ rapid, resulting in _________ trapped air, making icing _______ brittle. - ANSWERS✔✔ more, more, more which situation has the higher rate of airframe icing, stratiform or convective clouds? - ANSWERS✔✔ convective clouds An inversion layer can make the icing layer - ANSWERS✔✔ deeper Freezing rain occurs when there is a _____ combined with _______ - ANSWERS✔✔ precipitation The freezing levels are at 3000 ft AGL and 9000 ft AGL. Freezing rain will most likely occur at - ANSWERS✔✔ 2000ft The freezing levels are at 3000 ft AGL and 9000 ft AGL. snow will be experienced at - ANSWERS✔✔ above 9000 Freezing rain is most common - ANSWERS✔✔ NE of the surface warm front T/F: Carburetor icing can occur for an outside temperature of 12 degrees C - ANSWERS✔✔ True
IMC conditions in winter are most commonly observed at (time and season) - ANSWERS✔✔ 6am in the winter IMC conditions in winter are most common over - ANSWERS✔✔ Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Pennsylvania For a wind speed increase from 10 to 20 KTS, the amount of blowing snow will increase by a factor of - ANSWERS✔✔ 16 A whiteout occurs when ______ moves over a _____ - ANSWERS✔✔ an overcast cloud layer, uniform snow covered surface The average concentrations of O2 and N2 are about - ANSWERS✔✔ 21% and 78% Average sea level pressure is about - ANSWERS✔✔ 1013mb 14.7 lbs/squar foot 2.992 in Hg 500 mb is equal to __ Pa - ANSWERS✔✔ 50, What does not occur when a cloud of air is heated? - ANSWERS✔✔ pressure decreases with height at a faster rate The height above sea level at which the pressure is 700 mb is about - ANSWERS✔✔ 10, The pressure at 30,000 ft is about __ mb - ANSWERS✔✔ 300 The station level pressure for PHX is 28.9 in Hg at an elevation of 1200 ft. The MSL pressure there is about - ANSWERS✔✔ 30.1 in Hg
Cooling air at constant pressure will - ANSWERS✔✔ increase density Heating a parcel or air at constant pressure will make it __ dense than the surrounding air. The parcel will then __ - ANSWERS✔✔ less, rise If I heat air in a closed container the pressure inside the container will - ANSWERS✔✔ rise In the ISA (Standard Atmosphere), the lapse rate in the troposphere is closest to - ANSWERS✔✔ 2 ºC per 1,000 ft Pressure decreases with height faster in a __ column - ANSWERS✔✔ cold A warm column of air has __ than normal pressure aloft and __ than normal pressure near the surface - ANSWERS✔✔ higher, lower T/F If I am flying toward an area that is warmer than normal, my altimeter will read low - ANSWERS✔✔ True If my altimeter is set to 30.10 in Hg and the MSL pressure is actually 29.80 in Hg, my actual altitude is __ than indicated - ANSWERS✔✔ 300 feet lower On a very hot day, the density altitude will be __ than normal and I will need __ runway to become airborne at normal takeoff speed - ANSWERS✔✔ higher, more An isothermal layer is a layer in which ___ - ANSWERS✔✔ temperature is constant with height An inversion layer where the temperature __ with height. An inversion has a __ lapse rate - ANSWERS✔✔ increases, negative In a stable atmosphere, a parcel pushed up will be __ than the surrounding air and will ___ - ANSWERS✔✔ Cooler, sink back to original level
At 30,000 ft, there is high pressure above the __ and low pressure above the __ - ANSWERS✔✔ equator, poles Air flows __ a warm region at low levels and __ it at high levels - ANSWERS✔✔ toward, away from The Coriolis force deflects moving air to the __ in the NH and to the __ in the SH - ANSWERS✔✔ right, left Deflection by the Coriolis force of air moving away from the equator at 30,000 ft results in __ in the NH and __ in the SH - ANSWERS✔✔ westerlies, westerlies Two regions of rising motion and surface low pressure are found at latitudes - ANSWERS✔✔ 0 and 60 The mid-latitude westerlies are found between latitudes__ and are part of the __ cell - ANSWERS✔✔ 30-60, Ferrel At Point Barrow on the north slope of Alaska near 70&δεγ;N, the prevailing surface wind is from the - ANSWERS✔✔ east The prevailing wind at Hawaii near latitude 20 is from the - ANSWERS✔✔ east Another name for the subtropical high is the - ANSWERS✔✔ horse latitudes Weather in the Doldrums is - ANSWERS✔✔ warm, humid and rainy with light winds The ITCZ is north of the equator in - ANSWERS✔✔ July California receives most precipitation - ANSWERS✔✔ January
Which circulation cell(s) have cool air rising and warmer air sinking? - ANSWERS✔✔ Ferrel The NH continents are __ than the oceans in summer - ANSWERS✔✔ warmer In summer, surface air flow over southern Asia is - ANSWERS✔✔ moist, onshore (from sea to land) In January, Siberia has a __ aloft and a __ near the surface - ANSWERS✔✔ trough, anticyclone In winter, the northern hemisphere mid-latitude westerlies are __ and extend further __ than in the summer - ANSWERS✔✔ stronger, south In winter, there are two areas of low average MSL pressure. They are located near __ and __ - ANSWERS✔✔ the Aleutian Islands, Iceland A Monsoon is defined as - ANSWERS✔✔ a seasonally varying wind The polar high is - ANSWERS✔✔ a region of predominantly high average surface pressure and clear skies near the poles What two regions of the general circulation are associated with average rising motion, cloud & precipitation - ANSWERS✔✔ the ITCZ & the polar front The trade winds blow from the __ in the NH and the __ in the SH - ANSWERS✔✔ northeast, southeast India has most precipitation and IMC conditions in - ANSWERS✔✔ July 22530KT in a METAR is a wind from the __ at 30 _ - ANSWERS✔✔ southwest, kt
For a given (fixed) pressure gradient, the geostrophic wind at 60ºN is __ that at 30ºN - ANSWERS✔✔ about 0.58 times As a result of friction, the surface wind is ___ than the geostrophic wind and pointed at an angle toward ___ pressure - ANSWERS✔✔ slower, lower As a result of friction, the surface flow abound a cyclone is __ producing __ motion - ANSWERS✔✔ convergent, rising Surface air moving onto Lake Michigan from the east (hint. less friction over water) will usually - ANSWERS✔✔ accelerate & turn north The 3,000 ft AGL wind at Dallas TX is 270 at 45 kt. The runway wind there is most likely to be - ANSWERS✔✔ 220/24 kt The 3,000 ft wind above Alice Springs, Australia is 090/20. The surface wind there is closest to - ANSWERS✔✔ 140/12 kt A warm atmosphere always has a __ aloft - ANSWERS✔✔ ridge The 1000 to 500 mb thickness is proportional to - ANSWERS✔✔ the average temperature in the 1000 to 500 mb layer On average, above the north pole at 30,000 ft, there is - ANSWERS✔✔ low pressure Raising the 500 mb height and lowering the 1000 mb height will make the 1000- mb layer - ANSWERS✔✔ warmer Cooling the lower troposphere will - ANSWERS✔✔ lower the 1000-500 mb thickness Surface fronts are most easily located using - ANSWERS✔✔ 1000 to 850 mb thickness
The thermal wind is __ and is proportional to __ - ANSWERS✔✔ the difference between the upper wind and the lower wind, horizontal temperature gradient A strong front (big horizontal temperature gradient) usually has __ above it at 300 mb
- ANSWERS✔✔ a jet stream (strong wind) As I strengthen the horizontal temperature gradient in the troposphere, the __ and __ will increase at 30,000 ft - ANSWERS✔✔ pressure gradient and wind speed The meridional (north-south) tropospheric temperature gradient is strongest in __. This means that 300 mb winds are strongest in __. - ANSWERS✔✔ winter, winter Turbulence in the lower troposphere is most likely when - ANSWERS✔✔ when the 1000-500 mb thickness contours are close together Warm advection occurs when wind blows from __ toward __. Warm advection makes the temperature __ - ANSWERS✔✔ warm, cold, rise For an 850 mb wind of 320/20 and a 700 mb wind of 260/60, then thermal advection in the 850 to 700 mb layer is - ANSWERS✔✔ cold For an 850 mb wind of 220/15, a 700 mb of 270/30, a 500 mb of 270/60 & a 300 mb wind of 240/80, then the troposphere is becoming ___ (more/less) stable - ANSWERS✔✔ less Cloud and precipitation occur when air is - ANSWERS✔✔ rising If a volume of air is diverging, the total mass of the volume must - ANSWERS✔✔ decrease In a cyclone (low pressure system), friction makes the surface air flow - ANSWERS✔✔ converge
In winter, the northern hemisphere upper-level westerlies are __ and extend further __ than in summer - ANSWERS✔✔ Stronger, south Short waves typically have __ divergence associated with them and move __ than long waves - ANSWERS✔✔ more, faster Flying at 35,000 ft, I am most likely to be in or above cloud when the wind is - ANSWERS✔✔ from the southwest In January, strongest flow at 30,000 ft is found - ANSWERS✔✔ just east of Asia and N. America The area low upper-level heights (pressure) above the polar region is called the - ANSWERS✔✔ polar vortex On average, maximum winds (jet streams) at 60N are found at __ altitude than those at 30N - ANSWERS✔✔ a lower On average, the westerlies __ with height in the troposphere and __ with height in the stratosphere - ANSWERS✔✔ increase, decrease A strong 300 mb polar jet is located across the GA/FL border. In Atlanta north of the jet, I would expect - ANSWERS✔✔ colder than normal temperature On average, the polar jet stream is located at ___ ft near latitude ___ - ANSWERS✔✔ 30,000, 45- The subtropical jet is part of the ___ cells - ANSWERS✔✔ Hadley and Ferrel Compared with the north, the SOUTH side of an upper-level westerly jet has a ___ troposphere and a ___ tropopause height - ANSWERS✔✔ warmer, higher
Flying south to north across a westerly jet maximum, I would find the topopause getting ___ and the stratosphere getting ___. - ANSWERS✔✔ lower, warmer A jet streak is commonly located along the ___ edge of a cirrus cloud shield - ANSWERS✔✔ poleward (north in the NH) The subtropical jet is located near latitude 25-30 at ___ ft in ___ (season) - ANSWERS✔✔ 40,000, winter For a jet streak in upper-level westerly flow, maximum divergence and cloud is found to the ___ and ___ of the wind speed maximum. - ANSWERS✔✔ NE, SW At 40,000 ft above the subtropical high in winter, we typically find - ANSWERS✔✔ The subtropical jet Lake effect snow occurs during ___ in ___ air masses - ANSWERS✔✔ Nov-Jan, cP In airflow from the northwest, lake effects snows occur along the ___ shores of the Great Lakes. - ANSWERS✔✔ eastern and southern Air flow from the north over ocean in the southern hemisphere is most likely a ___ airmass. - ANSWERS✔✔ mT In the cold air behind a cold front over the ocean, we typically find a __ airmass and __ weather - ANSWERS✔✔ mP, showery A mP airmass moving from the NE onto the northeastern U.S. is most likely - ANSWERS✔✔ cool, foggy and stable A source region for a mT airmass is - ANSWERS✔✔ the tropical Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico
