Atmospheric Processes and Patterns
Understanding Surface Weather Patterns
Group_______
Names____________________________________________________________
Section_______
Use the maps from the presentation to answer the following questions.
Map #1.
A. Name 2 types of fronts and their locations on map 1.
B. What type of pressure is located over New England and is it relatively strong or
weak or neither (remember normal pressure is 1013)?
C. What do you think the weather is like in Tuscaloosa at this time and what
direction are the winds coming from? What about Minneapolis
Map #2.
A. What type of front is located off the Pacific NW coast near Vancouver and what
will that mean for their weather?
B. What is located in the central Gulf of Mexico and what type of pressure is that
feature? What month do you think this map was from and why?
C. Why is there a series of low pressure areas around 50N latitude in Canada?
Map #3
A. What is the large scale feature centered just south of Chicago comprising most of
the eastern United States? What stage is this in?
B. What time of year would this most likely be and why?
C. Describe what you think the weather will do in Tuscaloosa for the next 12 hours
based on the position of this feature?
D. What air mass type do you think is in Arkansas at this time (T = 45, DP = 41)?
What about Oregon? What air mass will likely move into Arkansas?
Map #4
A. What feature is located over Georgia?
B. Describe the likely conditions for the next 12 hours in Jacksonville Florida and
Atlanta? What air mass type is in place over Jacksonville
C. What month do you think this is from? Explain your reasoning.
D. What air mass type is in place over Texas?
Use the following blank map to diagram today’s current surface conditions. Before
leaving class display where you think the features will be at the start of the next class by
marking these features with a #2.