Weather and Climate Exam #3

The cyclones and anticyclones of the midlatitudes are most classified as _____ circulations.

Planetary scale flow such as trade-winds are best classified as:

Chitook winds, land-sea breezes and Santa Ana winds are examples of ____ circulations.

Winds are usually named for:

During the day, moutainous regions tend to experience a ____, while at night they experience ____. 

Taken as a whole, the large-scale or general circulation patterns of the atmosphere exist:

The term “Hadley cell” applies to:

According to the idealized three-cell model of the atmosphere, most of the United States is situated in which zone of prevailing winds?

The doldrums are associated with what latitudes(s)?

 The divergence near the ground that is associated with the subtropical high pressure zone can be cited as the origin of:

The prevailing winds that tend to influence cities such as Chicago and New York City are:

The region where the northeast trades meet the southwest trades is known as the:

What option below best characterizes the rainfall distribution at a station located along the equator?

Most of the earth’s deserts are located in the:

The subpolar low (polar front) is:

Although the idealized version of Earth features continuous pressure belts that continue zonally around the planet, the real Earth has broken-up pressure cells that vary seasonally. What explains this?

Concerning rainfall patterns, areas of persistent high pressure tend to cause:

Surface high pressure zones are usually associated with:

The areas of abundant rainfall on the earth tend to be:

The prevailing winds that blow from the horse latitudes toward the doldrums are called:

The amount of precipitation received at a given location is primarily controlled by:

A monsoon is defined by a:

A primary factor causing monsoon circulations is:

Why do westerly winds prevail at upper altitudes?

Which of the following statements about airflow in the middle and upper troposphere is true?

Jet streams are associated with fronts because of the:

Jet streams:

When are upper air winds fastest?

The greater strength of polar jet stream winds during winter is due to:

The wave-like or meandering pattern of the upper-level winds in middle latitudes is of major importance for:

The primary force causing ocean currents is:

The Gulf Streams is the name given to:

The process that brings cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface along the coasts of Peru and Ecuador is called:

El Niño events are characterized by:

The Southern Oscillation:

The two most important properties that are homogeneous at the same altitude in an air mass are:

The area where an air mass originates is called a:

An air-mass source region:

Air mass source regions tend to be dominated by:

Which air mass code letter is paired with the wrong word?

Air masses are identified by a pair of letters, one lowercase and one uppercase. The uppercase letter (P, A, or T) refers to:

Compared to continental air masses with the same air temperature, maritime air masses:

A cT air mass is:

An mP air mass is:

The cP air-mass in North America originates in:

An air mass from the Gulf of Mexico is called:

The coldest and driest winter air-mass in North America is the:

Which of the following is not an air mass that influences North America?

The pronounced cooling that occurs on continents at high latitudes during the winter leads to the formation of ____ air masses. 

Most mP air masses that influence the U.S. originate over:

Why are maritime air masses from the north Atlantic of only limited concern for weather in the U.S.?

While on vacation in Florida, you experience several days of weather with a maximum temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit and dew points above 65 degrees Fahrenheit. What educated guess could you make about the weather?

The ____ air mass provides much of the moisture for precipitation in the central and eastern United States. 

The ____ is characterized by a strong jet stream pulling mT air from Hawaii towards California. 

What is an atmospheric river?

in North America the ____ air mass typically forms only in the summer.

An air mass is often modified as it moves over the Earth’s surface. This modification is largely due to:

“Lake-effect” snow is associated with the ____ air mass.

Lake-effect snowfall is caused by:

On a weather map, a line with blue triangles on one side and red semicircles on the other is:

On a weather map, ____ fronts are shown with blue triangular points along a blue line.

Which is these is common to both cold and warm fronts?

A warm front is said to exist when:

If a warm front is approaching, you can expect:

The lifting air and the resulting formation of clouds and rain is more gentle (gradual) for a:

The type of front shown in the diagram is:

As a warm front approaches, which progression of clouds are you most likely to see?

The type of front shown on the diagram is:

The type of weather most frequently associated with the front shown on the diagram above is:

The cloud type most frequently associated with a cold front is:

The more violent nature of weather produced by a cold front can be attributed to?

Compared to warm fronts, cold fronts have:

In the United States, the air mass most commonly associated found at the back of a cold front is:

A ____ cold front occurs when a strong high-pressure circulation brings colder, mP air into the eastern United States from the Atlantic Ocean.

The type of front represented in the diagram is a:

Referring to the same diagram, which phase of the midlatitude cyclone’s life cycle is associated with this type of front?

Thunderstorms can be generated when a cT air mass meets an mT air mass and creates frontal boundary called a:

A dryline causes uplight to occur because:

The development of major winter storms in the Midwest depends strongly on:

Middle-latitude cyclones in the Northern Hemisphere:

The energy of mi-latitude cyclone comes mainly from:

Why does occasion lead to the demise of a mid-latitude cyclone?

What is the cause-and-effect relationship between the pattern of upper-level winds and surface low- and high-pressure systems?

The clear skies that separate the head of the comma from the tail in a mid-latitude cyclone are associated with what feature of the storm?

A mature mid-latitude cyclone cloud pattern most closely resembles what when viewed from a satellite? 

An approaching wave cyclone would be indicated by a ____ barometer reading.

Which os these best describes the reason most high pressure systems bring clear skies?

True or false: Middle-latitude cyclones typically develop along segments of the polar front. 

True or false: Cyclogenesis frequently occurs in Colorado. 

Thunderstorms form when ____, humid air in a(n) ____ environment.

Thunderstorms and large cumulonimbus clouds are characteristic of:

____ is defined as a significant change in wind speed and/or wind direction with increasing height above the surface.

Which of the following U.S. states experiences the most thunderstorms each year?

Thunderstorms occur year-round in the:

Ordinary, or air-mass, thunderstorms usually form in association with ____ air masses. 

Why is strong heating of the ground by the Sun associated with thunderstorms?

At what time of day is an air-mass thunderstorms more likely to develop?

An air mass thunderstorm is most intense during the ____ in the life cycle of an air mass thunderstorm.

What causes the dissipating stage of a thunderstorm?

What key change does wind shear promote in a thunderstorm that helps extend its life span?