1. Present weather includes which of the following (more than one answer):
_____ precipitation _____ clouds _____ obscuration _____ well-developed dust/sand whirls _____ tornadic activity _____ wind gusts _____ sandstorm _____ duststorm Answer
2. Present weather may be evaluated:
a. using instruments b. using human senses c. through a combination of (a) and (b) d. via satellite imagery Answer
3. Precipitation is:
a. any particle falling from the sky b. any form of water particles that falls from the atmosphere and reaches the ground c. any form of water found at the earth's surface d. water in any state (liquid, solid, vapor) moving through the atmosphere Answer
4. Match the following precipitation types with their definitions:
_____ drizzle a. a fall of unbranched ice crystals in the form of needles, columns, or plates _____ rain b. small balls or other pieces of ice _____ snow c. mostly branched ice crystals in the form of six-pointed stars _____ snow grains d. precip type reported by an automated station that cannot recognize the exact precipitation type _____ ice crystals e. transparent or translucent pellets of ice with diameters less than 5 mm _____ ice pellets f. fine drops of liquid precipitation with diameters less than 0.5 mm _____ hail g. very small, white, and opaque grains of ice _____ snow pellets h. liquid precip drops with diameters greater than 0.5 mm _____ unknown precip i. white, opaque grains of ice with diameters from 2 to 5 mm Answer
5. An obscuration is any phenomena that reduces horizontal visibility:
a. to less than 3 miles b. including precipitation c. other than precipitation d. between sunrise and sunset Answer
6. Match the following obscuration with their definitions:
_____ mist _____ volcanic ash _____ haze _____ fog _____ widespread dust _____ spray _____ smoke _____ sand
a. visible aggregate of minute water particles based at the earth's surface that reduces horizontal visibility to less than 5/8 SM b. fine particles of earth or other material raised or suspended in the air by the wind c. a suspension in the air of small particles produced by combustion d. an ensemble of water droplets torn by the wind from the surface of an extensive body of water e. visible aggregate of minute water particles based at the earth's surface that reduces horizontal visibility to less than 7 SM but not less than 5/8 SM f. sand particles raised by the wind g. fine particles of rock powder that originates from a volcano h. a suspension in the air of extremely small, dry particles that give the air an opalescent appearance Answer
7. Match the following present weather phenomena with their definition:
_____ well-developed dust/sand whirl _____ sandstorm _____ funnel cloud _____ duststorm
a. a violent, rotating column of air which does not touch the earth's surface b. particles of sand carried aloft by a strong wind, mostly confined to the lowest ten feet c. a whirling column of dust or sand with a small diameter and an approximately vertical axis d. a severe weather condition characterized by strong winds and dust-filled air over an extensive area Answer
8. Intensity qualifiers are:
a. light, moderate, heavy b. vicinity c. weak, strong, violent d. light, moderate, strong Answer
9. Proximity qualifier(s) is(are):
a. light, moderate, heavy b. vicinity c. weak, strong, violent d. light, moderate, strong Answer
10. For each of the following descriptions, indicate the appropriate precipitation intensity (LGT, MOD, HVY):
_____ a rain accumulation of 0.25 inch/hour _____ rain seemingly falls in sheets _____ visibility is not affected by falling ice pellets _____ scattered rain drops do not completely wet an exposed surface _____ 0.05 inch of rain in 6 minutes _____ slow accumulation of ice pellets on the ground _____ snow is observed and visibility is 3/4 mile _____ drizzle reduces visibility to 1/8 mile Answer
11. Match the following "descriptors" with the phenomena they may be used to describe:
_____ shallow, partial a. snow raised by the wind to a height of 6 feet or more _____ low drifting b. fog with little vertical extent _____ blowing c. drizzle that forms a glaze on the ground _____ showers d. precipitation characterized by rapid changes in intensity _____ thunderstorm e. sand raised by the wind to less than 6 feet _____ freezing f. local storm produced by a cumulonimbus cloud Answer
12. Match the following phrases to their definition:
_____ "occurring at the station" _____ "in the vicinity of the station" _____ "distant from the station"
a. beyond 10 SM of the point of observation b. between 5 and 10 SM from the point of observation c. within 5 SM of the point of observation Answer
13. Volcanic ash is reported:
a. when visibility is less than 7 miles b. only during daylight hours c. whenever it occurs d. only if accompanied by fog or mist Answer
14. For each of the following, indicate the order in which they are reported:
a. _____ squalls _____ rain _____ fog b. _____ thunderstorm _____ tornado _____ rain c. _____ thunderstorm _____ snow _____ fog Answer
15. Match the following code figures to the qualifier or phenomena they represent:
_____ MI a. ice pellets _____ BC b. sandstorm _____ SH c. unknown precipitation _____ PE d. shallow _____ GR e. showers _____ UP f. smoke _____ BR g. mist _____ FU h. spray _____ PY i. patches _____ SS j. hail Answer
16. The beginning of a thunderstorm will be reported when:
a. thunder is heard b. lightning is observed, but local noise prevents hearing thunder c. lightning is detected by an automated sensor d. all of the above Answer
17. The ending of a thunderstorm will be reported as _____ minutes after the last occurrence of the event.
a. 5 minutes b. 10 minutes c. 15 minutes d. 30 minutes Answer
18. Beginning and ending times for separate periods of precipitation shall be reported only if the intervening time exceeds _____ minutes.
a. 5 minutes b. 10 minutes c. 15 minutes d. 30 minutes Answer
19. Which of the following present weather phenomena are augmented at designated automated stations:
_____ GR _____ SH _____ TS _____ FC _____ GS Answer
1. Yes precipitation
No clouds
Yes obscuration
Yes well-developed dust/sand whirls
Yes tornadic activity
No wind gusts
Yes sandstorm
Yes duststorm [8.1]
2. c [8.1]
3. b [8.3.1]
4. Drizzle - f
rain - h
snow - c
snow grains - g
ice crystals - a
ice pellets - e
hail - b
snow pellets - i
unknown precip - d [8.3.1]
5. c [8.3.2]
6. mist - e
fog - a
smoke - c
volcanic ash - g
widespread dust - b
sand - f
haze - h
spray - d [8.3.2]
7. well-developed dust/sand whirl - c
funnel cloud - a
sandstorm - b
duststorm - d [8.3.3]
8. a [8.4.1a]
9. b [8.4.1a]
10. MOD - a rain accumulation of 0.25 in/hr [Table 8-1]
HVY - rain seemingly falls in sheets [Table 8-2]
LGT - visibility is not affected by falling ice pellets [Table 8-3]
LGT - scattered rain drops do not completely wet an exposed surface [Table 8-2]
HVY - 0.05 inches of rain in 6 min [Table 8-1]
MOD - slow accumulation of ice pellets on the ground [Table 8-3]
LGT - snow is observed and visibility is 3/4 of a mile [Table 8-4]
HVY - drizzle reduces visibility to 1/8 of a mile [Table 8-4]
11. shallow, partial - b
low drifting - e
blowing - a
showers - d
thunderstorm - f
freezing - c [8.4.1b]
12. "occurring at the station" - c
"in the vicinity of the station" - b
"distant from the station" - a [8.5]
13. c [8.5]
14. a. rain, fog, squalls
b. tornado, thunderstorm, rain
c. thunderstorm, snow, fog [8.5, Table 8-5]
15. MI - d UP - c
BC - i BR - g
SH - e FU - f
PE - a PY - h
GR - j SS - b [Table 8-5]
16. d [8.5.4]
17. c [8.5.4]
18. c [8.5.5a]
19. Yes GR
No SH
Yes TS
Yes funnel cloud
Yes GS [Table 8-6]