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What is a constant pressure surface?
Constant pressure surfaces are parallel to constant height surfaces
How are low and high heights related to temperature below that pressure surface?
High heights are indicative of warm air below that pressure level Low heights are indicative of cold air below that pressure level
How do you identify ridges and troughs on an upper-air map?
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What is pressure gradient force?What direction does it act?
Change in pressure/distance PGF causes the wind to blow Tightly packed isobars --> strong PGF Widely packed isobars--> weak PGF Acts perpendicular to height lines toward low heights.
What is the Coriolis force? In what direction relative to the flow does it act in the Northern Hemisphere?
The geographic wind blows in the Northern Hemisphere where lower pressure to its left and higher pressure to its right. Coriolis force always acts to right of motion Coriolis must be greater than PGF around highs.
What is geostrophic wind?
A theoretical horizontal wind blowing in a straight path, parallel to the isobars or contours, at a constant speed
What is a cyclone?
Low pressure systems NH: flow counter-clockwise, winds spiral inward SH: Flow clockwise, winds spiral inward
What is an anticyclone?
High pressure systems NH: Flow clockwise, winds spin outward SH: Flow counter-clockwise, Winds spin outward
What is gradient wind balance?
Curved flow aloft Lows: PGF > Coriolis Highs: Coriolis > PGF
What is friction? What does it do?
Friction opposes motion, slowing the winds, and weakening the Coriolis force.
What is an air mass?
A large body of air with similar temperature and moisture concentrations in the horizontal.
What is the center of an air mass?
Surface high pressure systems
How are air masses classified?
Classified based on moisture and temperature First letter refers to moisture, second letter refers to temperature. Moisture -Continental: Dry (forms over land) -Maritime: Moist (forms over water) Temperature -Tropical; Warm/Hot -Polar: Cool/cold -Arctic: Frigid
What is a front?
Boundaries between air masses of different densities
What are stationary fronts?
Stationary fronts do not move The winds in the cold air blow parallel to the front
What are cold fronts and how do they influence weather?
Precipitation generally showery Brief but intense Thunderstorms possible Cold fronts generally extend southward or westward from a low pressure system.
What are warm fronts and how do they influence the weather?
Precipitation widespread, mainly north of front Intensity is light to moderate Mixture of precipitation types in winter As front passes, temperatures and dewpoints increase
How do occluded fronts influence the weather?
Generally associated with widespread rain or snow Temperatures may rise or drop slightly, but remain cold.
How do occluded fronts form?
A low pressure system strengthens, it wraps cold air around itself
What are drylines and how do they influence the weather?
Separate mT air (warm/moist) front cT air (hot/dry)
How do you find fronts given a surface weather map?
Temperature gradient Dewpoint gradient
What is a mid-latitude cyclone?
An area of surface low pressure
What do mid-latitude cyclones look like on satellite imagery?
Look like classic comma-shaped cloud
What is a blizzard?
Visibility less than 1/4 a mile due to snow Winds greater than 35MPH Conditions must persist for 3 or more hours NEED ALL THREE PARTS!
What is a Nor'Easter?
An intense mid-latitude cyclone that tracks along the northeastern coast of the United States Can produce heavy rain and winds along coast and heavy snowfall inland
What is the jet stream? Where is it found?
The jet stream is a river of fast moving air in the upper atmosphere Exists near tropopause level
What is convergence
An atmospheric condition that exists when the winds cause a horizontal net inflow of air into a specified region Occurs when moving air is funneled into an area, much in the way cars converge when they enter a freeway.
What is divergence
An atmospheric condition that exists when the winds cause a horizontal net outflow of air from a specified region.

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