Clouds and Precipitation Pressure and Wind click here for 9 page to print Stability of Atmosphere Air rises due to a number of factors Expands as it rises cools as it does so Can calculate the new temperature Use the adiabatic lapse rate Dry for unsaturated Wet for saturated Compare the temperature of the air that has risen to the temperature of the air at that height Use the environmental lapse rate Higher density air that has risen is stable cooler Lower density air that has risen is unstable warmer Stable conditions Stability Environmental lapse rate 5 C 1000 m Dry adiabatic lapse rate 10 C 1000 m Rising g air is cooler than area it rises into Stable Absolute instability Conditional stability Cloud Development Air cools upon rising Cools to dew point dew point temperature Condensation begins Lifting condensation level Cloud Shapes Cirrus curl of hair thin wisps Stratus Stratus blanket blanket extensive layers Cumulus pile puffy masses Additional modifier of name Nimbus rain Cumulonimbus puffy rain clouds Nimbostratus layered rain clouds Cloud Groups High clouds 6000 m or more above surface Middle clouds 2000 clouds 2000 m to 6000 m above Low clouds less than 2000 m above surface Clouds of vertical development Present through more than one level Product of atmospheric instability cirrus Cirrocumulus Cirrostratus Altocumulus Altostratus Nimbostratus Cumulus Cumulonimbus Cloud classification classification left left Cloud classification classification right right Fog Golden Gate Bridge Fog Golden Fog Tule Fog Fog Tule Willamette Valley Fog Weather radar display Storms of 2011 Tornadic activity at all time high in May Wide swath across southeast http media nola com weather impact pho t to severe weather 27apr11 0745 utcth 27 11 0745 t animatedgif 4f51095f52e087b4 gif High rainfall led to severe flooding 75 year flood Last happened in 1937 1937 Some areas are at record levels Giant hailstone Hail damage Condensation in clouds Collision coalescence Bergeron Process of ice crystal growth Bergeron Process Snow falls from clouds Melts as it is falling Result is rain Most common method of p o precipitation ec p tat o in tthe e mid latitudes Forms of precipitation Mist tiny droplets Drizzle small droplet Rain larger drops Sleet small frozen raindrops Glaze rain that freezes upon contact Rime frost deposition Snow solid flake flake shaped shaped crystals Hail solid concentric balls Graupel collected snowflakes Glaze ice Rime ice Pogonip http grannysatticquilts com pogonip html Precipitation measurement
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