Question 1

Maritime Tropical (mT)air masses are responsible for daily afternoon thunderstorms along the Gulf Coast.

Accepted Answer

Maritime Tropical (mT) air masses have high humidity and are warm, which can cause unstable conditions and lead to thunderstorm formation. They commonly occur along the Gulf Coast, especially during the summer months, and are responsible for the daily afternoon thunderstorms in this region.

Question 2

Occluded fronts are often associated with a broad band of precipitation

Accepted Answer

Occluded fronts occur when a cold front catches up and overtakes a warm front, lifting the warm air aloft. This lifting of warm air can lead to the formation of a broad band of precipitation along the front, often lasting for an extended period of time.

Question 3

At the surface,occluded fronts are always followed by colder air.

Accepted Answer

Occluded fronts occur when a cold front overtakes a warm front, which can lead to a mixture of weather patterns, and the air that follows can be warmer or colder depending on the characteristics of the colliding air masses.

Question 4

In the Central Plains of the United States,continental polar air is welcome in both winter and summer.​

Accepted Answer

In the Central Plains of the United States, continental polar air is generally welcome in the summer because it brings cooler temperatures, but in the winter, it can contribute to very cold conditions, making it less welcome.

Question 5

The central United States is a very good air mass source region.

Accepted Answer

The central United States is not considered a very good air mass source region because it does not have the uniform characteristics typically associated with good source regions, such as vast, flat areas with consistent temperature and moisture levels. Good air mass source regions are usually large, flat areas with uniform surface characteristics, like the Arctic tundra, tropical oceans, or large deserts.

Question 6

Cold fronts are colored purple on a weather map.

Accepted Answer

Cold fronts are typically represented by a solid blue line on weather maps. Purple is not commonly used to depict cold fronts.

Question 7

A good source region for an air mass would be

Accepted Answer

A good source region for an air mass would be a generally flat area of uniform composition with light surface winds. This allows for the air mass to remain relatively stable and uniform in its characteristics. Mountains with deep valleys and strong surface winds can lead to mechanical mixing and instability, while hilly areas with deep valleys and light winds may trap local pollutants and lead to contamination of the air mass. Mountainous areas with low surface pressure may also lead to instability and mixing.

Question 8

The "average" speed of a cold front is about half that of an "average" warm front.

Accepted Answer

The "average" speed of a cold front is typically faster than that of a warm front. Cold fronts tend to move more rapidly due to the dense, cold air pushing and sliding underneath the warmer air ahead of it.

Question 9

Continental arctic and continental polar air masses can be difficult to distinguish,especially when the arctic air mass has traveled over warmer terrain.

Accepted Answer

This is true because both continental arctic and polar air masses originate from very cold regions and have similar characteristics such as low moisture content and dryness. The main difference is that continental arctic air masses are even colder than continental polar air masses, but this difference can be difficult to detect once the air mass has moved over warmer terrain.

Question 10

The weather forecast "Cool today with rain becoming heavy at times by this afternoon.Warmer tomorrow.Winds southeasterly becoming westerly by tomorrow morning." suggests that a warm occluded front is going to pass the area.

Accepted Answer

The forecast indicates a change from cool and rainy conditions to warmer weather the next day, with winds shifting from southeasterly to westerly. This suggests that a cold front is passing through, not a warm occluded front.

Question 11

The origin of cP and cA air masses that enter the United States is

Accepted Answer

cP (continental polar) and cA (continental arctic) air masses originate from Northern Canada and Alaska.

Question 12

A good air mass source region is generally flat and of uniform composition with light surface winds.

Accepted Answer

A flat and uniform source region with light surface winds allows for the air mass to remain relatively stable and retain its characteristics as it moves away from the source region. This is ideal for the classification and prediction of air masses.

Question 13

Freezing rain more commonly occurs with warm fronts than with cold fronts.

Accepted Answer

Freezing rain occurs when there is a layer of warm air above a layer of subfreezing air at the surface. Warm fronts bring in a mass of warm air that rises over the cold air, creating the perfect conditions for freezing rain to form. Cold fronts, on the other hand, often bring in dry, cold air that doesn't create the same conditions for freezing rain.

Question 14

On a colored weather map,a stationary front is drawn as an alternating red and blue line.Red semicircles face toward colder air on the red line and blue triangles point toward warmer air on the blue line.

Accepted Answer

This is the correct description of a stationary front on a weather map.

Question 15

Along the boundary between continental polar and maritime tropical air masses,widespread precipitation and storminess is often found.

Accepted Answer

The collision of different air masses with different temperatures and moisture levels often leads to unstable conditions, which can result in storms and precipitation. The boundary between continental polar (cold and dry) and maritime tropical (warm and moist) air masses is a common zone for such weather phenomena.

Question 16

Drylines are most frequently observed in the western half of Texas,Oklahoma,and Kansas,especially during spring and early summer.In these locations,drylines tend to move eastward during the day,then westward toward evening.

Accepted Answer

Drylines are commonly observed in the western half of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas during spring and early summer. These drylines usually move eastward during the day and then westward toward evening.

Question 17

Drylines may be detected by Doppler radar when insects and insect-eating birds congregate along it.On the radar screen,the echo from insects and birds shows up as a thin line,called a fine line.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Doppler radar can detect drylines by picking up the echo from insects and bird activity along it, which appears as a thin line called a fine line on the radar screen.

Question 18

Fronts are associated with high pressure​.

Accepted Answer

Fronts are associated with areas where two air masses with different characteristics meet, which often results in changes in temperature, weather conditions, and sometimes low pressure systems.

Question 19

In an exceptionally cold winter during which the Great Lakes were entirely covered by ice,lake effect snows would be expected in extremely high frequency and intensity.

Accepted Answer

Lake effect snow occurs when cold air moves over the warmer waters of the lakes, picking up moisture and then depositing it as snow on the downwind shores. If the Great Lakes were entirely covered by ice, this process would be significantly reduced, leading to less lake effect snow.

Question 20

The same cold front typically produces more rain over Kentucky than over western Kansas.

Accepted Answer

This is true because Kentucky is located in the eastern region of the United States where there is generally more moisture in the atmosphere, while western Kansas is located in a more arid region. Therefore, a cold front passing through Kentucky is more likely to produce more rain than the same cold front passing through western Kansas.

Quiz 11: Air Masses and Fronts

Maritime Tropical (mT)air masses are responsible for daily afternoon thunderstorms along the Gulf Coast.

Occluded fronts are often associated with a broad band of precipitation

At the surface,occluded fronts are always followed by colder air.

In the Central Plains of the United States,continental polar air is welcome in both winter and summer.

The central United States is a very good air mass source region.

Cold fronts are colored purple on a weather map.

A good source region for an air mass would be

The "average" speed of a cold front is about half that of an "average" warm front.

Continental arctic and continental polar air masses can be difficult to distinguish,especially when the arctic air mass has traveled over warmer terrain.

The weather forecast "Cool today with rain becoming heavy at times by this afternoon.Warmer tomorrow.Winds southeasterly becoming westerly by tomorrow morning." suggests that a warm occluded front is going to pass the area.

The origin of cP and cA air masses that enter the United States is

A good air mass source region is generally flat and of uniform composition with light surface winds.

Freezing rain more commonly occurs with warm fronts than with cold fronts.

On a colored weather map,a stationary front is drawn as an alternating red and blue line.Red semicircles face toward colder air on the red line and blue triangles point toward warmer air on the blue line.

Along the boundary between continental polar and maritime tropical air masses,widespread precipitation and storminess is often found.

Drylines are most frequently observed in the western half of Texas,Oklahoma,and Kansas,especially during spring and early summer.In these locations,drylines tend to move eastward during the day,then westward toward evening.

Drylines may be detected by Doppler radar when insects and insect-eating birds congregate along it.On the radar screen,the echo from insects and birds shows up as a thin line,called a fine line.

Fronts are associated with high pressure.

In an exceptionally cold winter during which the Great Lakes were entirely covered by ice,lake effect snows would be expected in extremely high frequency and intensity.

The same cold front typically produces more rain over Kentucky than over western Kansas.

Quiz 11: Air Masses and Fronts

Maritime Tropical (mT)air masses are responsible for daily afternoon thunderstorms along the Gulf Coast.

Occluded fronts are often associated with a broad band of precipitation

At the surface,occluded fronts are always followed by colder air.

In the Central Plains of the United States,continental polar air is welcome in both winter and summer.​

The central United States is a very good air mass source region.

Cold fronts are colored purple on a weather map.

A good source region for an air mass would be

The "average" speed of a cold front is about half that of an "average" warm front.

Continental arctic and continental polar air masses can be difficult to distinguish,especially when the arctic air mass has traveled over warmer terrain.

The weather forecast "Cool today with rain becoming heavy at times by this afternoon.Warmer tomorrow.Winds southeasterly becoming westerly by tomorrow morning." suggests that a warm occluded front is going to pass the area.

The origin of cP and cA air masses that enter the United States is

A good air mass source region is generally flat and of uniform composition with light surface winds.

Freezing rain more commonly occurs with warm fronts than with cold fronts.

On a colored weather map,a stationary front is drawn as an alternating red and blue line.Red semicircles face toward colder air on the red line and blue triangles point toward warmer air on the blue line.

Along the boundary between continental polar and maritime tropical air masses,widespread precipitation and storminess is often found.

Drylines are most frequently observed in the western half of Texas,Oklahoma,and Kansas,especially during spring and early summer.In these locations,drylines tend to move eastward during the day,then westward toward evening.

Drylines may be detected by Doppler radar when insects and insect-eating birds congregate along it.On the radar screen,the echo from insects and birds shows up as a thin line,called a fine line.

Fronts are associated with high pressure​.

In an exceptionally cold winter during which the Great Lakes were entirely covered by ice,lake effect snows would be expected in extremely high frequency and intensity.

The same cold front typically produces more rain over Kentucky than over western Kansas.

In the Central Plains of the United States,continental polar air is welcome in both winter and summer.

Fronts are associated with high pressure.