NIFE WEATHER TEST BANK
QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE
SOLUTIONS
What does ascending air result in? - Answer-low pressure and air that flows inward
towards the low pressure center perpendicular to the isobars
What is the saying to remember the flow of wind around pressure? - Answer-out of the
highs and into the lows
What are gradient winds? - Answer-winds found above 2000' AGL that flow parallel to
how isobars are depicted on a surface chart
How to gradient winds flow around high pressure? - Answer-flow clockwise around
highs
How to gradient winds flow around low pressure? - Answer-flow counterclockwise
around lows
What are surface winds? - Answer-winds heavily influenced by surface friction found
below 2000' AGL
do not flow parallel to isobars but have a 45 deg shift
How to surface winds flow around low pressure? - Answer-tend to turn towards the
center
still counterclockwise
How to surface winds flow around high pressure? - Answer-tend to turn away from the
center
still clockwise
When flying out of low pressure at 5000 ft, what kind of winds will you experience? -
Answer-gradient winds as a right cross wind
What is the jet stream? - Answer-a narrow band of strong winds at the top of the
troposphere
avg height of 30,000' MSL
What is saturation? - Answer-When the air cannot hold any more moisture, dew point
and temp are equal, preciciptation
, What direction does the jet stream flow? - Answer-W to E
What is the average speed of winds in the jet stream? - Answer-100-150 kts but can
exceed 250 kts
What are the dimensions of the jet stream? - Answer-100-400 miles wide
1000-3000 miles long
3000-7000 ft thick
What is a sea breeze? - Answer-cool, dense air over water moves over warmer land
air warms over the land during the day
warm air rises and returns over the ocean
occurs 1500-3000 ft AGL
15-20 kts
What is a land breeze? - Answer-land cools faster than water so now the water is
warmer, reverses the cycle of sea breeze
breeze moves from cooler land to warmer water
nighttime
water holds heat from the daytime better than land does, so it is warmer at night
what are the two types of clouds? - Answer-stratiform and cumuliform
What are stratiform clouds? - Answer-come from moist stable air
steady precipitation
widespread with no definable shape
low turbulence
What are cumuliform clouds? - Answer-come from moist unstable air
shower precipitation
large puffy clouds with more definable shapes and vertical development
cold weather
What are special clouds? - Answer-extensive vertical development
nimbo/nimbus
What does nimbus mean? - Answer-violent/heavy
What are cumulonimbus clouds? - Answer-thunderstorm clouds
severe to extreme turbulence, hail, icing, lightning
bases at low altitudes, tops at high altitudes
What are nimbostratus clouds? - Answer-thick, uniform, widespread clouds that build
downwards
heavy rain showers and moderate turbulence, but no thunder
QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE
SOLUTIONS
What does ascending air result in? - Answer-low pressure and air that flows inward
towards the low pressure center perpendicular to the isobars
What is the saying to remember the flow of wind around pressure? - Answer-out of the
highs and into the lows
What are gradient winds? - Answer-winds found above 2000' AGL that flow parallel to
how isobars are depicted on a surface chart
How to gradient winds flow around high pressure? - Answer-flow clockwise around
highs
How to gradient winds flow around low pressure? - Answer-flow counterclockwise
around lows
What are surface winds? - Answer-winds heavily influenced by surface friction found
below 2000' AGL
do not flow parallel to isobars but have a 45 deg shift
How to surface winds flow around low pressure? - Answer-tend to turn towards the
center
still counterclockwise
How to surface winds flow around high pressure? - Answer-tend to turn away from the
center
still clockwise
When flying out of low pressure at 5000 ft, what kind of winds will you experience? -
Answer-gradient winds as a right cross wind
What is the jet stream? - Answer-a narrow band of strong winds at the top of the
troposphere
avg height of 30,000' MSL
What is saturation? - Answer-When the air cannot hold any more moisture, dew point
and temp are equal, preciciptation
, What direction does the jet stream flow? - Answer-W to E
What is the average speed of winds in the jet stream? - Answer-100-150 kts but can
exceed 250 kts
What are the dimensions of the jet stream? - Answer-100-400 miles wide
1000-3000 miles long
3000-7000 ft thick
What is a sea breeze? - Answer-cool, dense air over water moves over warmer land
air warms over the land during the day
warm air rises and returns over the ocean
occurs 1500-3000 ft AGL
15-20 kts
What is a land breeze? - Answer-land cools faster than water so now the water is
warmer, reverses the cycle of sea breeze
breeze moves from cooler land to warmer water
nighttime
water holds heat from the daytime better than land does, so it is warmer at night
what are the two types of clouds? - Answer-stratiform and cumuliform
What are stratiform clouds? - Answer-come from moist stable air
steady precipitation
widespread with no definable shape
low turbulence
What are cumuliform clouds? - Answer-come from moist unstable air
shower precipitation
large puffy clouds with more definable shapes and vertical development
cold weather
What are special clouds? - Answer-extensive vertical development
nimbo/nimbus
What does nimbus mean? - Answer-violent/heavy
What are cumulonimbus clouds? - Answer-thunderstorm clouds
severe to extreme turbulence, hail, icing, lightning
bases at low altitudes, tops at high altitudes
What are nimbostratus clouds? - Answer-thick, uniform, widespread clouds that build
downwards
heavy rain showers and moderate turbulence, but no thunder
