NIFE WEATHER UPDATED 2026 EXAM SCRIPT QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔What is the standard lapse rate for pressure and temperature? - ✔✔-A 1,000'
increase in altitude will cause.....
Pressure to decrease by 1.0 in-Hg (34mb)
Temperature to decrease by 2 deg C (3.57F)
✔✔What is an isothermal lapse rate and where can it be found? A thermal inversion
lapse rate? - ✔✔-Isothermal: temperature remains the same for different altitudes
(tropopause)
-Inversion: temperature increases with altitude (stratosphere)
✔✔What is an air mass? - ✔✔-A large body of air that has essentially uniform
temperature and moisture conditions in a horizontal plane
-No abrupt temperature/dew point changes at a given altitude
-Named according to their location, moisture content, and temperature
✔✔What are the temperature classifications of air masses? - ✔✔Warm and Cold
✔✔What are the moisture content classifications of air masses - ✔✔Maritime and
Continental
✔✔What are the location classifications of air masses? - ✔✔Tropical
Arctic
Polar
Equatorial
✔✔The ______ of an air mass indicates its stability. - ✔✔-Temperature
-Warm air masses bring stable conditions
-Cold air masses are unstable
✔✔What is the saturation point of air defined as? What is the relationship between
saturation point and temperature? - ✔✔-When it contains the maximum amount of water
vapor that it can hold for that temperature
-As air temperature increases, it can hold more water
✔✔What is Dew Point Temperature? - ✔✔-Temperature at which saturation occurs
-Representation of the amount of moisture in the air
-The higher the dew point, the greater chances for clouds, fog, or precipitation
✔✔What is Dew Point Depression/Spread? - ✔✔-Difference between the air
temperature and dew point temperature
,-When dew point depression is 4F (2C) or less, the air is holding close to the maximum
amount of water vapor possible.
✔✔Can Dew Point ever be greater than ambient air temperature? - ✔✔-No
-Dew point is equal to or less than Air Temp
✔✔What is relative humidity? - ✔✔-Percent of saturation of the air
-Air can become saturated if....
1) it is cooled, which lowers the dew point depression
2) evaporation occurs, adding moisture to the atmosphere
-When dew point spread reaches 4F, RH = 90%
-Dew Point Depression and RH are inversely related
✔✔What is the difference between station pressure and sea level pressure? - ✔✔-
Station pressure: Pressure measured directly at an airfield/station without any
adjustment
-Sea Level pressure: station pressure adjusted to the mean sea level
✔✔What is indicated altitude? - ✔✔-Altitude read directly from the altimeter
-For indicated altitude to be somewhat useful, the altimeter must have the correct
reference dialed into the Kollsman window
✔✔What is true altitude? - ✔✔-Actual height above mean sea level (MSL)
-Found by correcting calibrated altitude for temperature deviations from the standard
atmosphere
-Important because airfields, hazards, and terrain elevations are stated in feet above
MSL
✔✔What is absolute altitude? - ✔✔-Aircraft's height above the terrain directly beneath
the aircraft
-Measured in feet AGL
-Found by subtracting terrain elevation from true altitude (Absolute = True - Terrain)
✔✔What is pressure altitude? - ✔✔-Height above the standard datum plane, which is
the actual elevation above or below the Earth's surface at which barometric pressure =
29.92 in-Hg
-Above 18,000' MSL, pilots must set 29.92 into altimeter to ensure consistent altitude
separation (flying a pressure altitude; assigned a Flight Level "FL")
✔✔What is density altitude? - ✔✔-Pressure altitude corrected for nonstandard
temperature deviations
-NOT a height reference; it is a measure of engine performance
, -Higher temperature = Lower air density = HIGHER Density Altitude = DECREASED
PERFORMANCE
***Moisture affects aircraft in a similar manner as temperature but to a lesser degree***
✔✔On a day hotter than a standard day at sea level, what is the effect on air density,
density altitude, thrust, lift, and takeoff/landing performance - ✔✔Air Density: decreases
Density altitude: increases
Thrust: decreases
Lift: decreases
Takeoff/landing performance: decreases
✔✔If, while flying at a constant indicated altitude, sea level pressure decreases, what
happens to the column of air aloft that you are flying in? - ✔✔The whole column aloft is
lowered
✔✔When flying from high pressure to low pressure, what altitude will your altimeter
indicate, and what will happen to your actual MSL altitude? - ✔✔Altimeter will indicate
higher altitude than actual
MSL altitude will be lower than indicated
✔✔When flying from low pressure to high pressure, what altitude will your altimeter
indicate, and what will happen to your actual MSL altitude? - ✔✔Altimeter will indicate
lower altitude than actual
MSL altitude will be higher than indicated
✔✔When flying to an area with a higher temperature, what altitude will your altimeter
indicate, and what will happen to your actual MSL altitude? - ✔✔Altimeter will indicate
lower altitude than actual
MSL altitude will be higher than indicated
✔✔When flying to an area with a lower temperature, what altitude will your altimeter
indicate, and what will happen to your actual MSL altitude? - ✔✔Altimeter will indicate
higher altitude than actual
MSL altitude will be lower than indicated
✔✔How are winds reported? - ✔✔The direction from which it is blowing (Wind blows
from a particular direction)
✔✔On a Surface Analysis Chart, isobars are drawn with a _______ mb interval spacing.
- ✔✔Four
✔✔How does air move around a high-pressure and low-pressure system? -
✔✔Clockwise around high and out of the system
Counter around low and into the system
AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔What is the standard lapse rate for pressure and temperature? - ✔✔-A 1,000'
increase in altitude will cause.....
Pressure to decrease by 1.0 in-Hg (34mb)
Temperature to decrease by 2 deg C (3.57F)
✔✔What is an isothermal lapse rate and where can it be found? A thermal inversion
lapse rate? - ✔✔-Isothermal: temperature remains the same for different altitudes
(tropopause)
-Inversion: temperature increases with altitude (stratosphere)
✔✔What is an air mass? - ✔✔-A large body of air that has essentially uniform
temperature and moisture conditions in a horizontal plane
-No abrupt temperature/dew point changes at a given altitude
-Named according to their location, moisture content, and temperature
✔✔What are the temperature classifications of air masses? - ✔✔Warm and Cold
✔✔What are the moisture content classifications of air masses - ✔✔Maritime and
Continental
✔✔What are the location classifications of air masses? - ✔✔Tropical
Arctic
Polar
Equatorial
✔✔The ______ of an air mass indicates its stability. - ✔✔-Temperature
-Warm air masses bring stable conditions
-Cold air masses are unstable
✔✔What is the saturation point of air defined as? What is the relationship between
saturation point and temperature? - ✔✔-When it contains the maximum amount of water
vapor that it can hold for that temperature
-As air temperature increases, it can hold more water
✔✔What is Dew Point Temperature? - ✔✔-Temperature at which saturation occurs
-Representation of the amount of moisture in the air
-The higher the dew point, the greater chances for clouds, fog, or precipitation
✔✔What is Dew Point Depression/Spread? - ✔✔-Difference between the air
temperature and dew point temperature
,-When dew point depression is 4F (2C) or less, the air is holding close to the maximum
amount of water vapor possible.
✔✔Can Dew Point ever be greater than ambient air temperature? - ✔✔-No
-Dew point is equal to or less than Air Temp
✔✔What is relative humidity? - ✔✔-Percent of saturation of the air
-Air can become saturated if....
1) it is cooled, which lowers the dew point depression
2) evaporation occurs, adding moisture to the atmosphere
-When dew point spread reaches 4F, RH = 90%
-Dew Point Depression and RH are inversely related
✔✔What is the difference between station pressure and sea level pressure? - ✔✔-
Station pressure: Pressure measured directly at an airfield/station without any
adjustment
-Sea Level pressure: station pressure adjusted to the mean sea level
✔✔What is indicated altitude? - ✔✔-Altitude read directly from the altimeter
-For indicated altitude to be somewhat useful, the altimeter must have the correct
reference dialed into the Kollsman window
✔✔What is true altitude? - ✔✔-Actual height above mean sea level (MSL)
-Found by correcting calibrated altitude for temperature deviations from the standard
atmosphere
-Important because airfields, hazards, and terrain elevations are stated in feet above
MSL
✔✔What is absolute altitude? - ✔✔-Aircraft's height above the terrain directly beneath
the aircraft
-Measured in feet AGL
-Found by subtracting terrain elevation from true altitude (Absolute = True - Terrain)
✔✔What is pressure altitude? - ✔✔-Height above the standard datum plane, which is
the actual elevation above or below the Earth's surface at which barometric pressure =
29.92 in-Hg
-Above 18,000' MSL, pilots must set 29.92 into altimeter to ensure consistent altitude
separation (flying a pressure altitude; assigned a Flight Level "FL")
✔✔What is density altitude? - ✔✔-Pressure altitude corrected for nonstandard
temperature deviations
-NOT a height reference; it is a measure of engine performance
, -Higher temperature = Lower air density = HIGHER Density Altitude = DECREASED
PERFORMANCE
***Moisture affects aircraft in a similar manner as temperature but to a lesser degree***
✔✔On a day hotter than a standard day at sea level, what is the effect on air density,
density altitude, thrust, lift, and takeoff/landing performance - ✔✔Air Density: decreases
Density altitude: increases
Thrust: decreases
Lift: decreases
Takeoff/landing performance: decreases
✔✔If, while flying at a constant indicated altitude, sea level pressure decreases, what
happens to the column of air aloft that you are flying in? - ✔✔The whole column aloft is
lowered
✔✔When flying from high pressure to low pressure, what altitude will your altimeter
indicate, and what will happen to your actual MSL altitude? - ✔✔Altimeter will indicate
higher altitude than actual
MSL altitude will be lower than indicated
✔✔When flying from low pressure to high pressure, what altitude will your altimeter
indicate, and what will happen to your actual MSL altitude? - ✔✔Altimeter will indicate
lower altitude than actual
MSL altitude will be higher than indicated
✔✔When flying to an area with a higher temperature, what altitude will your altimeter
indicate, and what will happen to your actual MSL altitude? - ✔✔Altimeter will indicate
lower altitude than actual
MSL altitude will be higher than indicated
✔✔When flying to an area with a lower temperature, what altitude will your altimeter
indicate, and what will happen to your actual MSL altitude? - ✔✔Altimeter will indicate
higher altitude than actual
MSL altitude will be lower than indicated
✔✔How are winds reported? - ✔✔The direction from which it is blowing (Wind blows
from a particular direction)
✔✔On a Surface Analysis Chart, isobars are drawn with a _______ mb interval spacing.
- ✔✔Four
✔✔How does air move around a high-pressure and low-pressure system? -
✔✔Clockwise around high and out of the system
Counter around low and into the system
