NIFE WEATHER EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS SET TO SCORE A+
Describe the jet stream - Answer-A narrow band of strong winds of 50 kts or more that
meanders vertically and horizontally around the hemisphere in wave-like patterns.
Winds average 100-150 knots but can exceed 250 kts. Found in segments 1000-3000
miles long, 100-400 miles wide, and 3000-7000 feet deep. Average height is around
30,000 MSL.
Describe sea breezes - Answer-During the day, the pressure over the warm land
becomes lower than that over the colder water. The cool air over the water moves
toward the lower pressure, replacing the warm air over the land that moved upward.
The resulting onshore wind, blowing from the sea, is called a sea breeze, with speeds
sometimes reaching 15 to 20 knots.
Describe land breezes - Answer-At night, the circulation that causes sea breezes is
reversed so that the air movement is from land to sea, producing an offshore wind
called the land breeze
Define the term front - Answer-An area of discontinuity that forms between two
contrasting air masses when they are adjacent to each other.
Describe the discontinuities used to locate and classify fronts - Answer-TDWP
(TouchDowns Win Points)
Temperature
Dewpoint
Winds
Pressure
Describe the characteristics of cold, warm, occluded, and stationary fronts - Answer-
Cold - move SE at 20 kts, wind shift SW to NW. Identified by a long line of cumuliform
clouds. Blue spiked line.
Warm - move NE at 15 kts, wind shift SE to SW. Red bumpy line. Gradual precipitation
increase.
Occluded - Cold front overtakes a warm front. Named cold/warm occluded depending
on which front remains in contact with the ground. 180 degree wind shift. Purple line
with both symbols pointed the same direction.
Stationary - Has a 180 degree wind shift. Red and blue symbols in alternating
directions.
Describe the characteristics of a squall line - Answer-A line of violent thunderstorms.
Indicated by a dashed, double dotted red line. Develops ahead of a cold front.
, Have a 90 degree wind shift from SW to NW
Explain the relationship between flight conditions and atmospheric stability - Answer-
FATVIPWC Front Airmass Turbulence Visibility Icing Precipitation Winds Cloud types
WWSPRSSS Warm Warm Smooth Poor Rime Steady Steady Stratus
CCRGCSGC Cold Cold Rough Good Clear Showery Gusty Cumulus
Describe the 3 characteristics of precipitation - Answer-Showers - Sudden beginning
and ending, abruptly changing intensity and/or sky conditions. Associated with
cumuliform clouds
Continuous (steady) - Gradual intensity changes, associated with stratiform clouds
Intermittent - stops and starts at least once during the hour. May be showery or steady,
and associated with cumuliform or stratiform
Describe the cloud types - Answer-Low clouds - surface to 6500 AGL, no prefix, mainly
water droplets, none to light turbulence, vis is low, none to light icing
Middle clouds - 6500 to 20,000 AGL, alto-, ice crystals or water droplets, contains virga
(rain or snow that evaporates before it reaches the ground), vis 1/2 mile to a few feet,
icing and turbulence none to moderate
High Clouds - above 20,000 AGL, cirro- or cirrus, ice crystals, visibility good to fair, icing
and turbulence none to light.
Extensive vertical development - low vis, severe icing, severe turbulence.
Nimbo or nimbus means the clouds are producing violent or heavy precipitation.
Describe the four methods of lifting - Answer-Frontal - as cold fronts move through an
area, they will lift air ahead of the cold air mass.
Convergence - 2 air masses converge and force the air up because it has nowhere else
to go.
Orographic - The force of the wind against a mountainside pushes the air upward.
Thermal - Cool air is over a warm service, and it is heightened by intense solar heating.
Describe stability with respect to lifted air - Answer-Stable air - Air is pushed up, then
returns to its original position
Neutral Air - Air is pushed up and stays at that level
Unstable Air - Air is pushed up and continues to rise
Define turbulence - Answer-Any irregular or disturbed flow in the atmosphere producing
gusts and or eddies
List the intensities of turbulence used in PIREP's - Answer-Light
Moderate
Severe
Extreme
Define the terms used to report turbulence with respect to time - Answer-Occasional -
less than 1/3 of the time
AND ANSWERS SET TO SCORE A+
Describe the jet stream - Answer-A narrow band of strong winds of 50 kts or more that
meanders vertically and horizontally around the hemisphere in wave-like patterns.
Winds average 100-150 knots but can exceed 250 kts. Found in segments 1000-3000
miles long, 100-400 miles wide, and 3000-7000 feet deep. Average height is around
30,000 MSL.
Describe sea breezes - Answer-During the day, the pressure over the warm land
becomes lower than that over the colder water. The cool air over the water moves
toward the lower pressure, replacing the warm air over the land that moved upward.
The resulting onshore wind, blowing from the sea, is called a sea breeze, with speeds
sometimes reaching 15 to 20 knots.
Describe land breezes - Answer-At night, the circulation that causes sea breezes is
reversed so that the air movement is from land to sea, producing an offshore wind
called the land breeze
Define the term front - Answer-An area of discontinuity that forms between two
contrasting air masses when they are adjacent to each other.
Describe the discontinuities used to locate and classify fronts - Answer-TDWP
(TouchDowns Win Points)
Temperature
Dewpoint
Winds
Pressure
Describe the characteristics of cold, warm, occluded, and stationary fronts - Answer-
Cold - move SE at 20 kts, wind shift SW to NW. Identified by a long line of cumuliform
clouds. Blue spiked line.
Warm - move NE at 15 kts, wind shift SE to SW. Red bumpy line. Gradual precipitation
increase.
Occluded - Cold front overtakes a warm front. Named cold/warm occluded depending
on which front remains in contact with the ground. 180 degree wind shift. Purple line
with both symbols pointed the same direction.
Stationary - Has a 180 degree wind shift. Red and blue symbols in alternating
directions.
Describe the characteristics of a squall line - Answer-A line of violent thunderstorms.
Indicated by a dashed, double dotted red line. Develops ahead of a cold front.
, Have a 90 degree wind shift from SW to NW
Explain the relationship between flight conditions and atmospheric stability - Answer-
FATVIPWC Front Airmass Turbulence Visibility Icing Precipitation Winds Cloud types
WWSPRSSS Warm Warm Smooth Poor Rime Steady Steady Stratus
CCRGCSGC Cold Cold Rough Good Clear Showery Gusty Cumulus
Describe the 3 characteristics of precipitation - Answer-Showers - Sudden beginning
and ending, abruptly changing intensity and/or sky conditions. Associated with
cumuliform clouds
Continuous (steady) - Gradual intensity changes, associated with stratiform clouds
Intermittent - stops and starts at least once during the hour. May be showery or steady,
and associated with cumuliform or stratiform
Describe the cloud types - Answer-Low clouds - surface to 6500 AGL, no prefix, mainly
water droplets, none to light turbulence, vis is low, none to light icing
Middle clouds - 6500 to 20,000 AGL, alto-, ice crystals or water droplets, contains virga
(rain or snow that evaporates before it reaches the ground), vis 1/2 mile to a few feet,
icing and turbulence none to moderate
High Clouds - above 20,000 AGL, cirro- or cirrus, ice crystals, visibility good to fair, icing
and turbulence none to light.
Extensive vertical development - low vis, severe icing, severe turbulence.
Nimbo or nimbus means the clouds are producing violent or heavy precipitation.
Describe the four methods of lifting - Answer-Frontal - as cold fronts move through an
area, they will lift air ahead of the cold air mass.
Convergence - 2 air masses converge and force the air up because it has nowhere else
to go.
Orographic - The force of the wind against a mountainside pushes the air upward.
Thermal - Cool air is over a warm service, and it is heightened by intense solar heating.
Describe stability with respect to lifted air - Answer-Stable air - Air is pushed up, then
returns to its original position
Neutral Air - Air is pushed up and stays at that level
Unstable Air - Air is pushed up and continues to rise
Define turbulence - Answer-Any irregular or disturbed flow in the atmosphere producing
gusts and or eddies
List the intensities of turbulence used in PIREP's - Answer-Light
Moderate
Severe
Extreme
Define the terms used to report turbulence with respect to time - Answer-Occasional -
less than 1/3 of the time
