Study Guide- Unit Severe Weather Test
Note- this is a guide only. Not all material that is
on the test is on the study guide. There may be some
material shown on the study guide that we do not get to.
1. Define the following:
a. Pressure gradient
b. Barometer
c. Wind vane
d. Anemometer
e. Isobar
2. a. Draw and label a set of isobars to represent low
pressure
b. Draw and label a set of isobars to represent high pressure
c. What is your contour interval?
d. Draw an arrow to show the direction of air movement
e. Draw a set of isobars to represent very fast winds.
3. Draw and label the pressure and wind belts. Show the
direction of air movement and whether the air is rising or
sinking. Be sure to label the latitudes.
4. On the figure 1, label the pressure and wind belts. Be sure
to label the latitudes.
5. Why can an umbrella salesman in India take long
vacations in the winter? How does air pressure over India
affect umbrella sales? Read page 635
6. List and describe the 5 main types of air masses. Be sure
to include the source regions.
7. Define front. List the 4 types of fronts and draw their
symbol and describe the weather associated with each.
8. What is the major source of precipitation in the US?
9. Sketch the warm and cold fronts listed on page 605-606.
Include in your picture: precipitation type, temperature
before and after the front, cloud type, cloud development
(horizontal or vertical)
10. Why is more violent weather associated with a cold
front?
11. What clouds types are associated with a warm front and
a cold front?
12. What type of weather is associated with a cyclone? In
what direction does the air move?
13. Which has more of an effect on weather a fast or slow
moving air mass, explain your reasoning?
14. Refer to the diagram to answer the following.
a. What type of front is at point B?
b. Describe the clouds and precipitation and temperature,
and pressure at B.
c. What type of front is at point D?
d. Describe the clouds and precipitation and temperature and
pressure at D.
e. Describe the clouds and precipitation and temperature and
pressure at E.
f. Which area are tornadoes most likely to for. Explain
g. What is the approximate pressure at point B?
15. What types of clouds are associated with thunderstorms?
16. Draw a station model for the following:
In Tampa, there is 100% cloud cover with winds from the
East at 65 knots. The temperature is 89oF and the dew point
is 88o F. The pressure is 1007mb and there are heavy rain
showers in the area.
17. Does # 16 represent high or low pressure, how do you
know?
Define the following terms:
18. Tornado alley, waterspout, wall cloud, eye wall, Tornado
watch, tornado warning, Saffir-Simpson scale, Fujita scale,
tropical storm, tropical depression, spiral rain bands (feeder
bands) eye, Funnel cloud, hurricane watch, storm surge,
Hurricane warning
19. Sequence for hurricane development and wind speeds in
knots associated with them.
20. Conditions for hurricane development
21. When is tornado season for Alabama?
22. Where does Alabama rank in terms of # of tornadoes
each year
23. On the fujita scale, what is the classification of a tornado
when mobile homes are overturned?
24. On the fujita scale, what is the classification of a tornado
when missile are generated?
25. On the fujita scale, what is the classification of a tornado
with devastating damage?
26. What hurricane formed in 1992 and had 30 billion
dollars in damage?
27. Conditions for tornado development
28. Worst places to seek shelter in a tornado
29. Use your weather chart to determine the trends in
weather and associate trends to pressure.
30. List three phenomenon associated with a thunderstorm
31. At what water temp do hurricanes form?
32. What type of clouds form in thunderstorms?
33. What causes most hurricane deaths/damage?
34. What is the relationship between pressure gradient and
winds? Calculate a pressure gradient to determine speed of
winds
35. Does Hollywood depict science accurately? Using
specific example, support your answer.
36. Describe the three ways that air can be forced to rise to
form clouds and precipitation.
37. A meteorology set up a small weather station outside of
school. It has a few simple instruments: a thermometer, a
barometer, a rain gauge to measure rainfall, and a
pychrometer. The students took measurements with the
instruments once a day for a week. They then filled in the
chart below. The barometer broke, so they were not able to
finish collecting air pressure data. Use figure 2 and what
you know about weather, to answer the following questions.
a. A cold front passed through the student’s city during the
week. On which day did the front pass through? Give two
reasons to support your answer.
b. The students did not record cloud cover data. If they had,
what would their observations have been as the front
arrived?
c. If the students’ barometer had continued to work, would
the air pressure reading for Wednesday have been higher or
lower than the one for Tuesday, when the weather was clear?
Support your answer.
d. Given the relative humidity on Thursday, would you
expect clear or cloudy skies? Why?
e. Using the terms specific humidity and capacity, describe
the relationship between the two on Wednesday.
38. Complete page 598 numbers 1-3 and 5-7 in the textbook.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3