Weather Flashcards
(27 cards)
Describe MN’s Climate
Solar radiation
Humid Continental
Solar Radiation
Axis tilt creates the day length and amount of sun during the day
Humid Continental
Difference in humidity in summer vs winter
Why does it get so cold and so hot in MN?
The wide temperature range is due to the hot air from the southwest and the cold air from the arctic
What is the polar vortex?
Low pressure in the upper atmosphere near the north pole
What is the jet stream?
River of air that bends around pressure systems
Where does the weather primarily come from during the spring/summer?
The west
What is albedo?
Reflected sunlight
What has higher albedo; a lake or woods?
Lake
How does a large body of water affect the nearby temperature?
Lowers temperature
How does a slope/valley affect temperatures in the bottom of the valley?
Cool air drainage
Colder in the valley
Hot air rises
Where is the driest part of MN?
Northwest
Where is the wettest part of MN?
Southwest
What is humidity?
Amount of water vapor in the air
What is dew point?
Temperature at which water condenses and dew forms
Where is it the windiest in MN?
Buffalo Ridge
Southwest
What causes tornadoes?
Instability in temperature
Why are tornadoes more likely in the spring?
Increase of warm, Gulf moisture into the central part of the country that clashes with contrasting cold, dry air form the North
Why are tornadoes more likely in the afternoon?
Ground surface is heating up and the upper atmosphere may still be cold from the morning
What is evapotranspiration?
Water transferred from the land to the atmosphere by evaporation from soil and transpiration from plants
How is evapotranspiration related to P/E ratio?
P/E is a measurement of how much water availability there is and evapotranspiration is the reuptake of water from the environment
Where in the state is the lowest P/E ratio?
Southwest
Where in the state is the highest P/E ratio?
Northeast
What happens when cold and warm fronts collide?
Thunderstorms
