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Chapter 17 Part 1

Terms in this set (23)

air mass
an immense body of air that is characterized by a similarity of temperature and moisture of any given altitude
air mass weather
fairly constant weather of a region under an air mass
front
boundary between two adjoining air masses that have contrasting characteristics
source region
area where an air mass acquires its characteristic properties of temperature and moisture
polar (P) air masses
air masses that originate in high latitudes toward Earth's poles
tropical (T) air masses
air masses that form in the lower latitudes
continental (C) air masses
air masses that form over land
maritime (M) air masses
air masses that form over water
Continental Polar (cP)
cold + dry
Continental Tropical (cT)
warm + dry
Maritime Polar (mP)
cold + moist
Maritime Tropical (mT)
warm + moist
cP
cP not usually associated with heavy precip
lake effect snow
when cP air masses cross The Great Lakes during late autumn and winter and bring snow to the leeward shores
Nor'easter
counterclockwise cyclonic winds that draw in maritime polar air. Result is a storm characterized by snow and cold temp
fronts
boundaries that separate air masses of different densities
frontal wedging
It is always the warmer, less dense air that is forced aloft, whereas the cooler, denser air acts as the wedge upon which lifting takes place.
warm front
when warm air occupies territory formerly covered by cool air 1:200
cold front
when cold air actively advances into a region occupied by warmer air 1:100
stationary front
When flow on both sides of a front is neither toward the cold air mass nor toward the warm air mass, but almost parallel to the line of the front.
occluded front
When an active cold front overtakes a warm front, the advancing cold air wedges the warm front upward. Then, a new front emerges between the advancing cold air and the air over which the warm air is gliding.
middle latitudes
refers to the region between southern flordia and alaska
middle latitude cyclones
large centers of low pressure that generally travel from west to east. lasting from a few days to more than a week.
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