Download Precipitation and Air Masses

Precipitation
Air Masses and Fronts
March 2011
Cloud Word Bank
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1. Strato
2. Cirro
3. Alto
4. Cirrus
5. Puffy, flat bottomed
6. Layered
7. Rain
Air Masses
• 1. Air Mass- large body of air that has the
similar moisture and temperature
throughout it
• 2. An air mass gets it moisture and
temperature characteristics from the area
over which it forms.
Air Masses
• 3. Masses are represented with a two
letter symbol.
• 4. First letter represents moisture
characteristics
• 5. Second symbol represents temperature
characteristics
Symbols
•
•
•
•
•
Types of Symbols
6. Maritime (m)- forms over water; wet
7. Continental (c)-forms over land; dry
8. Polar (P)-forms over polar regions; cold
9. Tropical (T)- forms over the Tropics;
warm
Cold Air Masses
3 polar air masses influence
weather
Northern California/Southern
California
Warm Air Masses
4 warm masses influence weather