Weather

In a high pressure systems

• there are few clouds because the air in moving downward
• there are many clouds because the air is very humid
• there are few clouds because the air is moving outward
• there are many clouds because the air is moving upward

A cold front usually brings what kind of weather?

• snow  
• sunny and fair
• heavy rain and/or thunderstorms 
•  cool and dry 

What is an air mass?

• a place where weather always changes in an extreme way
• a large body of air with the same temperature and moisture
• any cloud that produces rain, sleet, snow or hail
• any kind of air, as long as it is always wet and freezing

Ryan is working on his Science Fair project. He plans to measure the amount of rainfall that has fallen in his neighborhood over the past two weeks. What instrument should he use?

• Rain gauge
• Wind Vane
• Barometer
• Thermometer 

What kind of pressure predicts clear weather?

• high
• low
• cold
• stationary

Day 1 and Day 2 in Greenville started with the same amount of water vapor in the air parcels there. It rained at the end of Day 2 but it did not rain at the end of Day 1. What could have happened to the air parcel to cause rainfall on Day 2?

• The air parcel was warmer than the surrounding air, so it lost energy.

• The air parcel was warmer than the surrounding air, so it gained energy.

• The air parcel was at the same low temperature as the surrounding air, so it had low energy.

• The air parcel was cooler than the surrounding air, so it gained energy.

There were two rainstorms in Marion last month. Before Storm 1, Marion’s temperature at the surface was 26°C. Before Storm 2, the air temperature at the surface was 14°C. The temperature of areas surrounding Marion was the same before both storms. Which storm is likely to have had more rainfall?

• Storm 1. The air parcel at the surface was warmer and had more energy, so when it moved higher, it lost more energy.

• Storm 1. The air parcel at the surface was warmer and had more energy, so when cooler air from above came down, it lost more energy.

• Storm 2. The air parcel at the surface was cooler and had less energy, so when it moved higher, it gained more energy.

• Storm 2. The air parcel at the surface was cooler and had less energy, so with low energy it remained near the surface.

Air Parcel 1 is the same temperature as the surrounding air. Air parcel 2 is warmer than the surrounding air. Air Parcel 1 and Air Parcel 2 started with the same amount of water vapor in them. Which air parcel will have more rainfall and why?

• Both air parcels will have the same amount of rain. They have the same surrounding air temperature, so the same amount of water vapor will fall as rain.

• Air Parcel 1 is colder than Air Parcel 2, so more water vapor will fall as rain.

• Air Parcel 2 will gain energy from the surrounding air, which will cause more water vapor to fall as rain.

• Air Parcel 2 will lose energy to the surrounding air, which will cause more water vapor to fall as rain.

The town of San Angelo had two rainstorms in July. Storm 1 had more rainfall than Storm 2. The temperature of the surrounding areas was the same before both storms. What could explain why Storm 1 had more rainfall than Storm 2?

Before Storm 1, the air parcel at the surface could have been:

• warmer, so when the air parcel moved higher, it lost more energy.

• warmer, so when cooler air from above moved down, it lost more energy.

• cooler, so when the air parcel moved higher, it gained more energy.

• cooler, so the air parcel had low energy and remained near the surface.

This image shows energy being transferred in a system. Where does energy transfer to an air parcel from?

• The sun's energy transfers directly to an air parcel.

• The sun's energy transfers to the surface then the surface transfers energy to the air parcel.

• An air parcel creates it's own energy.

• Air parcels do not change temperature which means energy is never transferred.