Download weather forecasting study guide

WEATHER FORECASTING STUDY GUIDE
Weather Instruments
1. Barometer – measures air pressure
2. Anemometer – measures wind speed
3. Hygrometer – measures humidity
4. Thermometer – measures temperature
5. Rain gauge – measures the amount of rainfall
6. Wind vane – tells which direction the wind is coming from
Forecasting Weather
1. What is an air mass?
A large body of air with the same temperature and humidity
2. What is a current?
A stream of water that flows like a river in the ocean
3. What is climate?
The pattern of weather over time.
4. What is humidity?
Measurement of the amount of moisture in the air
5. What is meteorology?
The study of weather.
6. What is weather?
Condition of the atmosphere at a particular time
7. What kind of weather occurs if a warm air mass moves over a cold air mass? Steady
rain
8. What is the border between two air masses called? A front.
9. Why are satellites important tools for weather forecasters? They show where clouds
are and where clouds move.
10. What kind of weather occurs with a low-pressure system? Warm, moist, and
typically poor
11. What is the weather like after a warm front passes through an area? It is warmer
and more humid.
12. What kind of weather can we expect when a cold front moves in? Gusty winds and
rain.
13. What kind of weather comes with a tropical air mass? Hot and humid.
14. Can climates be different in different parts of a country? Yes!
15. What are two major factors that determine climate? Temperature and precipitation
Types of Precipitation
1. Rain – clouds take on so much moisture they get heavy and water drops fall to the
ground
2. Freezing Rain – leaves clouds as a liquid and freezes when it HITS the ground
3. Sleet – leaves clouds as a liquid and freezes at it PASSES through the cold air
4. Hail – formed by ice pellets going up and down inside a cloud and then dropping out
and falling to the ground
5. Snow – happens when ice crystals form IN a cloud and stay frozen until they hit in
earth.
Types of Clouds
1. Cumulus – puffy clouds that indicate fair weather
2. Stratus – low clouds that usually cover the sky (light rain or snow is possible with
these clouds)
3. Cirrus – high in the sky where the air’s very cold. They’re mostly made of ice crystals
4. Cumulonimbus – puffy clouds, tallest in the sky, make rain and thunderstorms