Weather Systems of Middle Latitudes

These flashcards cover key concepts and vocabulary related to weather systems of middle latitudes.

Air Mass

A large body of air that is uniform in temperature and humidity, covering thousands of square kilometers.

Frontal Weather

The interaction of different air masses at a boundary called a front, which can lead to various weather phenomena.

Extratropical Cyclone

A large-scale weather system that forms along the polar front, characterized by low pressure and associated with storms.

Anticyclone

A weather system characterized by high pressure, associated with sinking air and generally fair weather.

Warm Front

A boundary where warm, less dense air advances over cooler air, usually resulting in cloud formation and precipitation.

Cold Front

A boundary where cold, dense air displaces warmer air, often leading to severe weather like thunderstorms.

Occluded Front

Forms when a cold front catches up to a warm front, leading to complex temperature contrasts and precipitation.

Cyclogenesis

The process of cyclone formation, typically along a polar front.

Cyclolysis

The dissipation or weakening of a cyclone.

Sea Breeze

A cooling wind that blows from the sea to the land, resulting from differential heating between land and water surfaces.

Land Breeze

A wind that blows from the land to the sea, occurring at night when the land cools faster than the water.

Mountain Breeze

A cool wind that flows down from the mountains into the valleys at night.

Valley Breeze

A breeze that flows up from the valley during the day as the air heats up.

Santa Ana Winds

Hot, dry winds that blow from the desert regions towards coastal areas, typically occurring in Southern California.

Haboob

A dust storm produced by strong downdrafts from thunderstorms.