Weather Introduction and Meteorology :
Types of Air Masses: in North America we have 4 forms or air called ( maritime tropical, continental tropical , maritime polar and continental tropical).
Types of Air Masses: in North America we have 4 forms or air called ( maritime tropical, continental tropical , maritime polar and continental tropical).
Simple summary for USA = Iowa gets warm / moist air from the South and warm/hot dry air from the Southwest. Iowa gets cold/dry air from Canada and cold/ wet air from the West.
1. Continental means the land or from the land comes air that is somewhat dry
2. Maritime means to come from the ocean or humid area = air that has moisture
1. Continental means the land or from the land comes air that is somewhat dry
2. Maritime means to come from the ocean or humid area = air that has moisture
One of the best examples of odd or unique air masses in USA is in the states of Oregon and Washington. (heavy rainstorms due to cool and wet air off the coast of the Pacific Ocean. )
Quiz question here: ( explain the four air masses of North America and how they affect Iowa)
1. The cool / humid air masses from the North Pacific travel across the USA they bring summer showers and cooler temperatures to Iowa sometimes.
2. The dry/ colder air of Canada will bring frigid cold air down into Iowa during winter months. At times this will cause us to have some colder air in the spring/ summer / fall months in Iowa.
3. The warm and moist air from the Gulf of Mexico will bring a lot of rain or moist air into Iowa. The winter months get some of the moisture from the Gulf but more so from the west coast.
4. the dry / hot air of the deserts of Arizona and SW states sends Iowa those hot summer temps.
1. The cool / humid air masses from the North Pacific travel across the USA they bring summer showers and cooler temperatures to Iowa sometimes.
2. The dry/ colder air of Canada will bring frigid cold air down into Iowa during winter months. At times this will cause us to have some colder air in the spring/ summer / fall months in Iowa.
3. The warm and moist air from the Gulf of Mexico will bring a lot of rain or moist air into Iowa. The winter months get some of the moisture from the Gulf but more so from the west coast.
4. the dry / hot air of the deserts of Arizona and SW states sends Iowa those hot summer temps.
How Air Moves (the winds of USA and North America)
1. westerlies = the most common winds of USA, they push wind to the East, that is why Ragbrai bike trip goes from western Iowa to Mississippi
1. westerlies = the most common winds of USA, they push wind to the East, that is why Ragbrai bike trip goes from western Iowa to Mississippi
2. Jet Streams = along with the westerlies we have high up in the sky the jet streams. These are strong speed winds as high as 6-10 miles up. The truth is that jets do use these winds to help them travel across the USA.
3. Fronts -- they are huge masses or air that will move across the land and now and then will collide into each other. This is the main causes of weather and the mixture of cold and warm air will cause a storm!
3. Fronts -- they are huge masses or air that will move across the land and now and then will collide into each other. This is the main causes of weather and the mixture of cold and warm air will cause a storm!
KINDS OF FRONTS ( warm, cold, stationary, occluded)
1. cold front = when fast moving cold air masses take over warm air. Cold air is heavy and will sink, while warm air is lighter and rises. When the cold air hits warm, the cold air slides under the warm air and pushes air into the sky. If there is enough moisture in the air the water particles will cool and become droplets of liquid from the clouds and we get rain.
***cold fronts move fast and suddenly bring the temperatures down and sudden thunderstorms or fast moving storms across an area.
2. warm fronts ---much slower moving storms with a lot of clouds for severa days. The movement of warm air into an already colder location will change the weather and increase the air temperatures. If again there is moisture in the clouds a storm will occur but it will be moving slower. In warm front take-over the area might be cloudy or rainy for many days.
3. Stationary fronts = sometimes the storms don t move and stay in an area for many days or even a week. The cold and warm air don t seem to move the other air mass so you might have fog, rain or snow for days.
4. Occluded fronts = a very complicated system where there are two cold air masses surrounding one warm air mass.
1. cold front = when fast moving cold air masses take over warm air. Cold air is heavy and will sink, while warm air is lighter and rises. When the cold air hits warm, the cold air slides under the warm air and pushes air into the sky. If there is enough moisture in the air the water particles will cool and become droplets of liquid from the clouds and we get rain.
***cold fronts move fast and suddenly bring the temperatures down and sudden thunderstorms or fast moving storms across an area.
2. warm fronts ---much slower moving storms with a lot of clouds for severa days. The movement of warm air into an already colder location will change the weather and increase the air temperatures. If again there is moisture in the clouds a storm will occur but it will be moving slower. In warm front take-over the area might be cloudy or rainy for many days.
3. Stationary fronts = sometimes the storms don t move and stay in an area for many days or even a week. The cold and warm air don t seem to move the other air mass so you might have fog, rain or snow for days.
4. Occluded fronts = a very complicated system where there are two cold air masses surrounding one warm air mass.
Low and High pressure : (cyclones, anti-cyclones)
1. Low pressure = an area of spinning low air that has moisture or precipitation. It will move "counter-clockwise"
and cause clouds, wind and sometimes violent cyclones.
2. High pressure = the opposite of cyclones or low pressure systems. A high is without moisture and spinning air is clockwise. This air causes: dry air, less wind and clear skies.
STORMS ( thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurrican
1. Low pressure = an area of spinning low air that has moisture or precipitation. It will move "counter-clockwise"
and cause clouds, wind and sometimes violent cyclones.
2. High pressure = the opposite of cyclones or low pressure systems. A high is without moisture and spinning air is clockwise. This air causes: dry air, less wind and clear skies.
STORMS ( thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurrican
Review of Weather Quiz:
1. Meteorology = the study of weather
2. The direction that weather in Iowa/ USA comes mostly from the west.
3. The four kinds of air masses are: warm/wet,
hot/ dry, cold/ dry, and cold/ wet.
4. a. Hot and dry air come from the SW USA (Arizona)
b.the cold and dry air comes from Canada, and North/ South Dakota a
C. the warm and wet air comes from the Gulf of Mexico/ south states
Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas area
d. the cold/ wet air comes from the NW USA, Oregon, Washington
and the Rocky Mt. states like Colorado and Wyoming
8. LOW OR L ---- means that the weather has low clouds, moisture
9. THE H symbol for high pressure ----means clear skies, no clouds, sunny
10. Ragbrai always starts in western towns, to allow the west winds to
help the riders usually to have ---THE WIND AT THEIR BACKS !!!!
11. A jet pilot wants to use the jet steams to push his plane when the flight of the trip is with those winds. **some jet winds are 150 mph
12. A jet pilot that is flying plan into the direction of the jet winds, will avoid them, or it would make his flight take longer and use more fuel.
13. Four kinds of storms are: snow, hail, tornadoes, hurricanes
14. the symbol of a warm front is with circles---see illustrations below:
1. Meteorology = the study of weather
2. The direction that weather in Iowa/ USA comes mostly from the west.
3. The four kinds of air masses are: warm/wet,
hot/ dry, cold/ dry, and cold/ wet.
4. a. Hot and dry air come from the SW USA (Arizona)
b.the cold and dry air comes from Canada, and North/ South Dakota a
C. the warm and wet air comes from the Gulf of Mexico/ south states
Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas area
d. the cold/ wet air comes from the NW USA, Oregon, Washington
and the Rocky Mt. states like Colorado and Wyoming
8. LOW OR L ---- means that the weather has low clouds, moisture
9. THE H symbol for high pressure ----means clear skies, no clouds, sunny
10. Ragbrai always starts in western towns, to allow the west winds to
help the riders usually to have ---THE WIND AT THEIR BACKS !!!!
11. A jet pilot wants to use the jet steams to push his plane when the flight of the trip is with those winds. **some jet winds are 150 mph
12. A jet pilot that is flying plan into the direction of the jet winds, will avoid them, or it would make his flight take longer and use more fuel.
13. Four kinds of storms are: snow, hail, tornadoes, hurricanes
14. the symbol of a warm front is with circles---see illustrations below:
1. definition = electric discharge that can happen between clouds, between the Earth and clouds, or even between 2 parts of the same cloud
2. When lightning strikes, energy is released. This new expanding air creates sound waves ( thunder ).
3. Lightning is responsible for starting 1000 s of forest fires each year and killing
or injuring 100 's of people a year in the USA.
4. Most common location on Earth for lightning to strike are high objects:
tall buildings, trees, mountain tops, high areas in open fields, tops of houses
SUMMARY OF SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY
1. VERY important to practice safe and common sense actions in case of watches
or warnings.
2. Listen to radio or TV and stay in touch with the current news and updates
3. Remain indoors or leave to a safe location; depending on type of emergency
4. Follow all rules and preparations for the storm. *** be prepared for the after
affects and all needs for supplies such as food, water and first aid materials.
2. When lightning strikes, energy is released. This new expanding air creates sound waves ( thunder ).
3. Lightning is responsible for starting 1000 s of forest fires each year and killing
or injuring 100 's of people a year in the USA.
4. Most common location on Earth for lightning to strike are high objects:
tall buildings, trees, mountain tops, high areas in open fields, tops of houses
SUMMARY OF SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY
1. VERY important to practice safe and common sense actions in case of watches
or warnings.
2. Listen to radio or TV and stay in touch with the current news and updates
3. Remain indoors or leave to a safe location; depending on type of emergency
4. Follow all rules and preparations for the storm. *** be prepared for the after
affects and all needs for supplies such as food, water and first aid materials.
Read chapter two for complete reveiw