Weather and Climate Study Guide
1. ____ Air mass
2. ____ 4 major air masses in
North America
3. ____ Cold, dense air has…
4. ____ Warm, dense air has…
5. ____ Tropical air masses
6. ____ Polar air masses
7. ____ Maritime air masses
8. ____ Continental air masses
9. ____ Maritime tropical
10. ____ Maritime polar
11. ____ Continental tropical
12. ____ Continental polar
13. ____ Continental polar +
Maritime tropical =
14. ____ Prevailing westerlies &
Jet streams
15. ____ Front
16. ____ Cold front
17. ____ Warm front
18. ____ Stationary fronts
19. ____ Occluded
20. ____ Occluded fronts
21. ____ Cyclone
22. ____ Anticyclones
23. ____ Storm
24. ____ Lightning
25. ____ Thunder
26. ____ Tornado
A. A swirling center of low air pressure; Greek
meaning “wheel”
B. A warm air mass overtakes a slow-moving cold air
mass; causes rainy or cloudy weather for several
days, then warm, humid weather
C. Air masses that form over land, usually drier
D. Air masses that form over the ocean, can be humid
E. Clear, cold, dry air: in winter, bitterly cold, in
summer, mild air
F. Cold air masses form north of 50o N latitude and
south of 50o S latitude and have high air pressure
G. Cold and warm air meet, but neither move the
other; can cause many days of clouds and
precipitation
H. Commonly move air masses in the US
I. Cool, humid air masses: fog, rain, & cool temps.
J. Cut off
K. Fast-moving cold air overtakes a warm air mass;
cause abrupt weather changes
L. High pressure centers swirling outwards
M. Higher air pressure
N. Hot, dry air masses, common in southwest
O. Huge body of air that has similar temperature,
humidity, and air pressure at any given height
P. Lower air pressure
Q. Maritime tropical, continental tropical, maritime
polar, and continental polar
R. Rapidly whirling, funnel shaped cloud
S. Spark, or electrical discharge that jumps betweens
clouds, or clouds and ground
T. Storms
U. The boundary where air masses meet
V. The sound of air expanding suddenly and
explosively
W. Violent disturbance in atmosphere
X. Warm air mass is caught between two cooler air
masses; cause cooler air, clouds and rain or snow
Y. Warm air masses, form in the tropics and have low
air pressure
Z. Warm, humid air masses: hot, humid weather,
showers, and thunderstorms in the summer; and
heavy rain or snow in winter
27. ____ Tornado alley
28. ____ Hurricane
29. ____ Hurricane begins…
30. ____ All year round…
31. ____ Lake effect snow
32. ____ Meteorologist
use…
33. ____ Isobars
34. ____ Isotherms
35. ____ Doppler transmitter
36. ____ Weather
37. ____ Climate
38. ____ Main factors that
influence temperature
39. ____ Temperate zone
40. ____ In the case of
mountains…
41. ____ Ocean effect on
temperature
42. ____ Marine climates
43. ____ Continental
climates
44. ____ Ocean current
45. ____ Gulf stream
46. ____ North Atlantic Drift
47. ____ California current
48. ____ Main factors that
affect precipitation
49. ____ Prevailing winds
50. ____ …carry more water
vapor
51. ____ Windward
52. ____ Leeward
A. Altitude is more important than latitude
B. Average, year-after-year conditions of temperature,
precipitation, winds and clouds in an area
C. Best known warm water current
D. Caused by weather patterns in the Great Plains
E. Condition of atmosphere at a particular time and
place; changes every day
F. Cool current that flows southward
G. Greatly moderate or make temperature changes less
extreme
H. Gulf stream, after it crosses the North Atlantic; brings
mild, humid air
I. Happens when cold, dry air that moves across warm
lake water becomes more humid
J. Have mild winters and cool summers
K. Latitude, altitude, distance from water, and ocean
currents
L. Lines joining places that have the same temperature
M. Lines joins places on the map with the same air
pressure
N. Maps, charts, and computers
O. More extreme: cold winters and warm or hot summers
P. Most precipitation starts as snow
Q. Over warm ocean water as a low pressure area
R. Prevailing winds, presences of mountain, and
seasonal winds
S. Sends out radio waves that bounce off particles in the
air
T. Side of the mountain that is downwind, in a rain
shadow, so little precipitation falls there
U. Streams of water within the oceans that move in
regular patterns
V. Summer: sun’s rays strike more directly; winter: sun’s
rays strike at a lower angle
W. The directional winds that blow in a region
X. The side of the mountain where the wind hits, cause
rain or snow to fall
Y. Tropical cyclone with winds of 119 km/hr or higher
Z. Winds that blow inland from oceans or large lakes