Meteorology Exam 4 Mizzou (Eric A)

A severe thunderstorm or tornado warning indicates that:

a) the atmospheric conditions are favorable for hazardous weather over a particular region

b) hazardous weather is either imminent or occurring within the forecast area

c) hazardous weather is likely to occur within ttre forecast area during the next 24 hours

d) hazardous weather is frequently observed in a particular region

b) hazardous weather is either imminent or occurring within the forecast area

A severe thunderstorm or tornado watch would probably be issued for which of the following conditions?

a. there is a chance for severe weather, including tornadoes, later this afternoon

b: presently, extremely high winds are occurring at mountain summits

c. a tornado has been sighted at the outskirts oftown

d. heavy snow has been falling over the forecast area

a. there is a chance for severe weather, including tornadoes, later this afternoon

A weather analysis map is:

a. a forecast chart that shows the atmosphere at some future time

b. a forecast chart that compares past weather maps with those of the present

c. a surface or upper level chart that interprets the present weather patterns

d. a forecast method used in long range weather prediction

e. a method used to determine skill in predicting the weather

c. a surface or upper level chart that interprets the present weather patterns

The least accurate forecast method of predicting the weather two days into the future during changeable weather conditions is usually the:

a. trend method

b. persistence forecast method

c. analogue method

d. prediction by weather types

e. numerical weather prediction

b. persistence forecast method

A weather forecast that predicts that the future weather will be the same as the present weather is called:

a. a steady-state forecast

b; f the trend method

c. a persistence forecast

d. the analogue method

e. an extended weather forecast

c. a persistence forecast

Which forecasting method assumes that weather systems will move in the same direction and at the same speed as they have been moving?

a. persistence forecast

b. probabilityforecast

c. weather type forecast

d. climatological forecast

e. steady state (trend) forecast

e. steady state (trend) forecast

A persistence forecast could be quite accurate when:

a. a frontal system approaches your location at constant speed

b. you are positioned in the middle of a large, stationary air mass

c. the weather has been unusually cold for several days

d. upper level winds blow straight from west to east

b. you are positioned in the middle of a large, stationary air mass

A weather forecast for the immediate future is called:

a. nowcasting

b. extrapolation

c. first order forecast

d. linear forecast

a. nowcasting

A forecast method that compares past weather maps and weather patterns to those of the present is:

a. persistence forecasting

b. the analogue method

c. the trend method

d. nowcasting

b. the analogue method

The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) is responsilble for issuing which of the following:

a. tomado warnings

b. climatic summaries

c. severe thunderstorm watches

d. weather forecasts

c. severe thunderstorm watches

What is a Mesoscale Discussion (MD)?

a. discussion/ outlook prepared by the SPC outlining where severe weather could occur within the next few hours.

b. a discussion/outlook prepared by the SPC outlining where severe weather could occur over the next 4 to 48 hours.

c. a discussion that talks about winds and forecasting for a mesoscale area.

d. a probability forecast

a. discussion/ outlook prepared by the SPC outlining where severe weather could occur within the next few hours.

Which of the following is presently a problem with modern-day weather predictions?

a. computer forecast models make assumptions about the atmosphere that are not always correct

b. there are regions of the world where only space observations are available

c. computer models do not always adequately interpret the surface's influence on the weather

d. the distance between grid points on some models is too large to pick up smaller-scale weather features such as thunderstorms

e. all of the above

e. all of the above

The forecasting of weather by a computer is known as:

a. weather type forecasting

b. climatoloryforecasting

c. extended weather forecasting

d. analogue prediction

e. numerical weather prediction

e. numerical weather prediction

When making a forecast a meteorologist typically examines:

a. surface charts

b. upper-air charts

c. radardisplays

d. satellite imagery

e. all of the above

e. all of the above

All thunderstorms require:

a. cold, humid air

b. convergence of the air aloft

c. lifting along some barrier such as a mountain or front surface heating/cooling

d. rising air

d. rising air

the initial stage of an ordinary thunderstorm is the:

a. mature stage

b. dissipating stage

c. cumulus stage

d. multicell stage

c. cumulus stage

Ordinary thunderstorms only last about one hour and begin to dissipate when:

a. lightning neutralizes all the electrical charge in the cloud

b. when all the precipitation particles in the cloud turn to ice

c. when the downdraft spreads throughout the cloud and cuts off the updraft

d. when solar heating at the ground begins to decrease

c. when the downdraft spreads throughout the cloud and cuts off the updraft

An ordinary thunderstorm is a:

a. thunderstorm that does not produce lighfrring or thunder

b. thunderstorm that has a strong and sometimes violent downdraft or updraft

c. scattered or isolated storm that is not severe

c. scattered or isolated storm that is not severe

An ordinary thunderstorm is most intense during the _ stage.

a. mature

b. multicell

c. cumulus

d. dissipating

a. mature

The most likely time for an ordinary thunderstorm to form is:

a. just after sunrise

b. just before sunrise

c. around midnight

d. afternoon

e. at noon

d. afternoon

A supercellthunderstorm is:

a. a thunderstorm complex that produces flooding rains

b. athunderstorm that is found within a hurricane

c. a thunderstorm with a weak downburst wind

d. an enormous thunderstorm that rotates and can last for several hours

d. an enormous thunderstorm that rotates and can last for several hours

Severe thunderstorms are capable of producing:

a. large hail

b. tornadoes

c. flashfloods

d. all of the above

d. all of the above

A Mesoscale Convective Complex (MCC) is actually:

a. a rapidly rotating tornado cyclone inside a massive thunderstorm

b. another name for a suction vortex

c. a complex display of lightening from distant thunderstorms

d. a family of tornadoes that do a great deal of damage

e. Individual thunderstorms that grow into a large, long-lasting weather system

e. Individual thunderstorms that grow into a large, long-lasting weather system

Thunderstorms which produce tornadoes:

a. have very little cloud-to-ground lighfting

b. have updraft velocities that exceed 100 miles per hour

c. have rotating updrafts

d. will not produce hail

c. have rotating updrafts

The leading edge of a thunderstorm's cold downdraft is known as a:

a. downburst

b. squall line

c. gust front

d. dry line

e. microburst

c. gust front

The wind shear associated with several major airline crashes is believed to have been caused by:

a. microbursts

b. dry lines

c. the jet stream

d. mesocyclones

a. microbursts

A group of thunderstorms which develop in a line one next to the other, each in a different stage of development are called:

a. ordinarythunderstorms

b. a thunderstorm cluster

c. multicell thunderstorms

d. mature thunderstorms

c. multicell thunderstorms

A line ofthunderstorms that forms ahead of an advancing cold front is called a:

a. roll cloud

b. squall line

c. wall cloud

d. gust front

e. dry line

b. squall line

On a surface weather map, this marks the boundary where a warm, dry air mass encounters a warm, moist air mass:

a. gust front

b. dry line

c. storm front

d. wall cloud

b. dry line

A IIP supercell differs from a LP supercell based on the storm's

a. maximum wind gust

b. maximum hail diameter

c. precipitation amount

d. all of the above

c. precipitation amount

A discharge of electricity from or within a thunderstorm is called:

a. static electricity

b. lightning

c. a downburst

d. St. Elmo's fire

e. an atmospheric arc

b. lightning

Lightning may occur:

a. within a cloud

b. from a cloud to the ground

c. from one cloud to another

d. all of the above

d. all of the above

Distant lightning that is so far away you cannot hear the thunder is called:

a. sheet lightning

b. heat lightning

c. false lightning

d. St. Elmo's fire

e. auroral lightuiing

b. heat lightning

Thunder is caused by:

a. the collision between two thunderstorms with opposite electrical charge

b. rapid heating of air surrounding a lightning channel

c. the explosion that occurs when + and - charge collide

d. turbulent wind motions inside a thunderstorm

b. rapid heating of air surrounding a lightning channel

If you see a lightning stroke and then, 15 seconds later, hear the thunder, the lightning is about _ miles away.

a. 45

b. 15

c. 5

d. 3

d. 3

Thunder will not occur:

a. without lightning

b. in wintertime thunderstorms

c. in thunderstorms over the ocean

d. when a thunderstorm is producing precipitation

a. without lightning

When caught in a thunderstorm in an open field, the best thing to do is to:

a. run for cover under the nearest tree

b. lie down flat on the ground

c. crouch down as low as possible while minimizing contact with the ground

d. remove all metallic objects from your pockets

c. crouch down as low as possible while minimizing contact with the ground

A tornado cloud that does not touch the ground is called:

a. a funnel cloud

b. a wall cloud

c. a roll cloud

d. a mesocyclone

a. a funnel cloud

A funnel cloud is composed primarily of:

a. cloud droplets

b. dust and dirt from the ground

c. raindrops

d. hail

e. ice crystals

a. cloud droplets

Which of the following statements about tornadoes is correct?

a. all tornadoes rotate in a counterclockwise direction

b. tornadoes never strike the same place twice

c. all tornadoes make a distinction roar

d. the United States has more tornadoes that any other country in the world

d. the United States has more tornadoes that any other country in the world

The rotating updraft inside a severe thunderstorm is called a:

a. mesohigh

b. mesocyclone

c. suction vortex

d. funnel cloud

e. roll cloud

b. mesocyclone

Most tornadoes move from:

a. northwest to southwest

b. southwest to northeast

c. south to north

d. southeast to northwest

b. southwest to northeast

Which of the following factors is most important in determining the strength of a tornado?

a. diameter

b. forward speed

c. duration

d. strength of wind and amount of damage done

d. strength of wind and amount of damage done

The so-called "Tornado Alley" of the United States is located:

a. in Florida

b. in the Central Plains

c. in the Ohio Valley

d. in the middle Atlantic states

e. along the Gulf Coast

b. in the Central Plains

The most frequent time of day for tornadoes to form is in the:

a. early morning just after sunrise

b. late morningjust before noon

c. evening just after sunset

d. afternoon

e. middle ofthe night

d. afternoon

In the United States, tornadoes are most frequent during the___and least frequent during the____.

a. summer, fall

b. spring winter

c. spring fall

d. summer, winter

e. winter, fall

b. spring winter

which below is the best indication that a severe thunderstorm is about to produce a tornado?

a. a wall cloud

b. a roll cloud

c. a mammatus cloud

d. a gust front

a. a wall cloud

A hook-shaped echo on a radar screen often indicates:

a. a thunderstorm with very frequent lightning

b. a developing hurricane

c. the possible presence of a tornado-producing thunderstorm

d. a rotating anvil cloud at the top of a thunderstorm

c. the possible presence of a tornado-producing thunderstorm

According to the National Weather Service definition, a severe thunderstorm is a storm having

a. hail at least three-quarters of an inch in diameter

b. surface wind gusts of 50 knots (5g miles/hr) or greater

c. a tornado

d. all of the above

e. at least one of the conditions described in answers (a), (b) and (c)

e. at least one of the conditions described in answers (a), (b) and (c)

When describing winds (velocity) on a Doppler radar, green colors represent winds moving______ the radar, while red colors would represent winds moving____ the radar.

a. away from, toward

b. toward, away from

b. toward, away from