Severe Weather

What is a tornado?

• a violently rotating column of air

• a rotating tropical storm

• a winter storm characterized by high winds and snow

• a storm that occurs in cumulonimbus clouds

Which state has the most twisters per year? How many?

• Texas, 120

• Oklahoma, 120

• Texas, 1000

• Kansas, 500

What are large thunderstorms that have winds already in rotation called?

• supercells

• blizzards

• hurricanes

• tornadoes

Why do most tornadoes occur in the afternoon?

• the sun has had more time to heat the ground/atmosphere & produce thunderstorms

• the winds need a few hours to build up before they can become a tornado

• there aren't any clouds in the morning to form tornadoes

• the ground has had time to cool off and produce ideal conditions for tornadoes

When do tornadoes form?

• when warm, humid air collides with cold, dry air

• when cold, humid air collides with warm, dry air

• when cold air rises through warm air

• when the air cools rapidly and forms storm clouds

What is a funnel cloud?

• the cloud that forms before a storm turns into a tornado

• another name for a tornado

• a rotating updraft

• when warm air rises through cold air

How does the Fujita scale measure a tornado's intensity?

• by analyzing the damage the tornado has done & matching that to wind speeds

• by only looking at the wind speed

• by looking at the number of buildings the tornado destroys

• by analyzing the wind speeds and width of the tornado

Which level on the Fujita scale corresponds to incredible damage and wind speeds of 261 mph?

• F5

• F1

• F3

• F2

What is the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning?

• A watch is when a tornado has been sighted & a warning is when the weather is conducive to a tornado

• A warning is when a tornado has been sighted & a watch is when the weather is conducive to a tornado

• They are both the same thing

• A watch is when there is a tornado is within 5 miles, & a warning is when there is a tornado within 1 mile

What are the perfect atmospheric conditions for a tornado?

• When a cold/dry air mass and a warm/moist air mass meet in addition to falling pressure & variable winds.

• When a cold/moist air mass and a warm/dry air mass meet in addition to falling pressure & variable winds.

• When a cold/dry air mass and a warm/moist air mass meet in addition to rising pressure & steady winds.

• When a cold/moist air mass and a warm/moist air mass meet in addition to rising pressure & variable winds.