MET 101: Lab 5 – Clouds, Rain and Radar
Fall 2015
Name: _______________________
OBJECTIVE: To increase comprehension of how to Doppler radar works and
appreciate the various types of clouds that occur in the atmosphere.
1. Complete a weather observation to include Temperature, Dew Point and Clouds.
(see attached sheet)
Compare those data to those collected at a nearby airport and from the Central
Islip High School Weather Station. (See data links on the Met-101 web page.)
2. Complete the on-line cloud identification module (link on class web page
www2.sunysuffolk.edu/tongue)
a. What is the height of the base of a cumulus cloud with surface temperature
of 95 degrees F and dew-point temperature of 75 degrees F?
b. Name the 3 main categories of clouds and the general prefix that corresponds to
each category.
c. What are the two main ways that clouds are formed? Please describe.
d. What do we call a cloud on the ground?
e. What is the prefix used for rain clouds?
f.
What is the main difference between high level clouds and all others?
g. What is the meteorological name for a thunderstorm?
3. Use the Lab-5 Links to display radar data.
a. Reflectivity:
i. Where’s it raining - currently?
ii. What COLORS represents the highest Reflectivity?
b. Velocity:
i. Doppler Radar can determine if rain is moving:
____________ or ______________ from the radar only!
ii. Using the Base Doppler Velocity data – what is the wind direction
just above the surface over Long Island - currently?
4. Describe the ISOHYET analysis of 24 hour rainfall ending at 8 AM this morning.
http://water.weather.gov/precip/
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
MET-101
Weather Observation Form
Local Airport
(Islip or
Farmingdale)
YOU
SCCC
Sagtikos Weather
Station
Time
Z
Z
Z
Temperature
oC
oC
oC
Dew Point
Temperature
oC
oC
oC
Relative
Humidity
%
%
%
Clouds
Amount *
N/A
Cloud
Type(s)
N/A
N/A
Weather **
Pressure
N/A
in Hg
in Hg
in Hg
* Use CLR (clear), SCT (< 50% Cloud Cover), BKN (50 to 90 % Cloud Cover) or OVC
(Overcast) for Cloud amount for “YOU” and use the greatest amount reported from the
airport.
** enter “none” if there’s no precipitation or obstruction to visibility (fog) present.
NOTE: Time is in UTC (Z) equals local (EDT) plus 4 hours (i.e. 6:30 PM = 1830 EDT =
2230 Z)