This document contains a series of questions about weather-related topics including analyzing 500mb charts, surface weather maps, hurricane forecasting models, and optical phenomena like rainbows and sun dogs. The questions test understanding of concepts like air mass identification, weather prediction based on pressure patterns, relative humidity calculations, frontal boundaries, and seasonal factors that influence certain light refractions in the atmosphere. Responses require recalling details from prior weather and atmospheric lessons as well as making inferences based on maps, diagrams, and time of day.

1. First, review the purpose of 500mb charts and how to read wind
barbs.
1 (+1): Analyze the 500mb chart above. If a low -pressure
system is located in Texas (find the yellow “X”), what direction
will the low-pressure system most likely move: East, North,
South, or West?
2 (+1): Over California, examine the movement of air using the
500mb chart.
What direction will the low-pressure system (marked by the
yellow “X” in the image) most likely move: Northeast,
Southeast, Southwest, or Northwest?
3 (+1): Now let us connect Module 5’s work on air masses to
this week’s work. Identify the air mass (marked by the yellow
“X” in the image) that will be moving over California.
Hint: go back to the last module for this and connect the topics
4 (+1): Using the characteristics of the air mass you indicated in
the question above, make a general weather prediction for
California (rainy or clear, hot or cold will be good enough, no
more detail is needed).
Part 2 Surface Map Analysis
This is a surface weather map:
See all the symbols? They tell a story about the weather at each

2. location. First, we have to decide what they mean.
Examine the following table (all temperatures in Celsius)
Station 1
Station 2
Station 3
4 (+1): The temperature at station 1 is __________
5 (+1): The dew point at station 2 is __________
6 (+1): The air pressure at station 1 is __________
Hint, it is not 986, go watch the video lesson
7 (+1): The air pressure at station 3 is __________
Hint, it is not 002, go watch the video lesson
8 (+1): What is the wind direction at station 3?
Hint: remember, we name winds based on where they come from
9 (+1): Think back to relative humidity and the relationship
between temperature and dew point. Which station has the
highest relative humidity?
10 (+1): The wind speed at station 1 is __________
Examine the following image
11 (+1): Identify which location is closest to the center of the

3. low-pressure system AND indicate the pressure reading.
Hint: the location with the lowest pressure will be closest to the
center of the low-pressure system
12 (+1): Identify which location is closest to the cold front and
describe your reasoning in one or two sentences.
13 (+1): Identify which location is closest to the warm front and
describe your reasoning in one or two sentences.
14 (+1): You are a forecaster and handed the map above. Which
of the four locations would most likely experience strong
thunderstorms? Identify the location and describe your
reasoning in one or two sentences.
Hint, think back to cold and warm fronts.
Part 3 Hurricane Forecasting
In hurricane season, Floridians are very familiar with these
types of images often called "spaghetti models."
15 (+1): "Spaghetti models" represent a type of forecasting
called __________________.
16 (+1): Describe how these types of forecasts are made and
describe their importance in weather forecasting, especially
hurricanes.
Part 4: Optical phenomena
17 (+1): Most tornadoes in the United States move towards the
east due to the movement of mid-latitude cyclones and
prevailing wind patterns. Assume it is nearly 4:30 pm (Note, the
time is important, think about where the sun would be in the
sky) and you walk outside and see the following:

4. Using your knowledge about how rainbows form and the
movement of tornadoes (usually move towards the east),
identify if the tornado is heading away from you, towards you,
or can you not determine the direction of the tornado based on
this image and describe your reasoning in one or two sentences?
18 (+1): Provide a general description of rainbow formation.
19 (+1): Examine the image below:
This image shows the optical phenomenon of (a/an)
_________________.
20 (+1): Review how the optical phenomena shown in #19
forms. Identify which season this image was most likely taken (
choose: Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter)
and describe your reasoning in one or two sentences.