Exam 4 Study Guide: Weather and Severe Weather Terminology

This set of flashcards covers significant vocabulary and concepts related to weather, air masses, storms, and severe weather phenomena as outlined in the lecture notes.

Convergent

When air flows from different directions and meets, rising and often causing rain.

Convectional

Sun heats the ground, causing warm air to rise and form rain clouds, common on hot summer days.

Frontal

Occurs when warm and cold air masses meet, resulting in clouds and rain along the front.

Orographic

Rain caused when moist air rises up a mountain and cools.

Windward

The side of a mountain that faces the wind and receives more rain.

Leeward

The side of a mountain away from the wind, usually dry.

Rain Shadow

A dry area on the leeward side of a mountain because moisture was lost on the windward side.

Air Masses

Large areas of air with the same temperature and moisture throughout.

mT (maritime Tropical)

Warm and humid air from oceans near the tropics.

mP (maritime Polar)

Cool and humid air from cold oceans.

cT (continental Tropical)

Hot and dry air from deserts.

cP (continental Polar)

Cold and dry air from land in polar regions.

Weather

Day-to-day conditions like rain, temperature, and wind.

Climate

Average weather over a long period (30+ years).

Cold Front

Formation occurs when cold air pushes under warm air, resulting in a quick drop in temperature.

Warm Front

Formation occurs when warm air moves over cold air, leading to a gradual increase in temperature.

Occluded Front

Occurs when a cold front catches up to a warm front and lifts it off the ground.

Stationary Front

A front that doesn’t move much, bringing clouds and rain for several days.

Mid-latitude Cyclone

Form where cold and warm air meet, rotating counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere.

Hurricane

A tropical cyclone with well-defined parts: eye, eyewall, and rainbands.

Saffir-Simpson Scale

Categories 1–5 based on wind speed, used to classify hurricanes.

Tropical Cyclone

Phases include tropical disturbance, tropical depression, tropical storm, and hurricane.

Thunderstorm Formation

Requires warm, moist air and rising motion to form cumulonimbus clouds.

Supercell

A large, rotating storm with potential for producing tornadoes.

Tornado

Starts in supercells where rotation begins in the cloud before touching ground.

Enhanced Fujita Scale

Ranks tornadoes by damage from EF0 to EF5.

Tornado Watch

Issued when conditions are right for tornado formation.

Tornado Warning

Issued when a tornado has been spotted or indicated by radar.

Lake Effect

Snowfall caused when cold air moves over a warmer lake, picking up moisture.