1- If an area is described as a "good air mass source region," What information can you give about it?
2- It is summer. What type of afternoon weather would you expect from an air mass designated as maritime tropical? Explain.
3- Why is continental polar air not welcome to the Central plains in winter and yet very welcome in summer?
4- Explain why the central United States is not a good air mass source region?
7- List the temperatures and moisture characteristics of each of major air mass types?
9- Why are maritime polar air masses along the East Coast of the United States usually colder than those along the nation's West Coast? Why are they also less prevalent?
11- What type of air mass would be responsible for the weather conditions listed as follows?
(a) heavy snow showers and low temperatures at Buffalo, New York.
(b) hot, muggy summer weather in the Midwest and the East.
(c) daily afternoon thunderstorms along the Gulf Coast.
(d) heavy snow showers along the western slope of the Rockies.
(e) refreshing, cool, dry breezes after a long summer hot spell on the Central Plains.
(f) heavy summer rainshowers in southern Arizona.
(g) drought with high temperatures over the Great Plains.
(h) persistent cold, damp weather with drizzle along the East Coast.
(i) summer afternoon thunderstorms forming along the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada.
(j) record low winter temperatures in South Dakota.
15- Based on the following weather forecasts, what type of front will most likely pass the area?
(a) Light rain and cold today, with temperatures just above freezing. Southeasterly winds shifting to westerly tonight. Turning colder with rain becoming heavy and possibly changing to snow.
(b) Cool today with rain becoming heavy at times by this afternoon. Warmer tomorrow. Winds southeasterly becoming westerly by tomorrow morning.
(c) Increasing cloudiness and warm today, With the possibility of showers by evening. Turning much colder tonight winds southwesterly, becoming gusty and shifting to northwesterly by tonight.
(d) Increasing high cloudiness and cold this morning. Clouds increasing and lowering this afternoon, with a chance of snow or rain tonight. Precipitation ending tomorrow morning. Turning much warmer. Winds light esterly today, becoming southeasterly tonight and southwesterly tomorrow.
16- Sketch side views of a typical cold front, warm front, and cold-occluded front. Include in each diagram cloud types and patterns, areas of precipition, surface winds, and relative temperature on each side of the front.