Thunderstorm Quiz

What are the three conditions necessary for a thunderstorm to form?

• High humidity, stable air, and precipitation

• Sufficient water vapor, an unstable lapse rate, and an initial lifting force

• Low pressure, warm temperatures, and a front

• High pressure, cold temperatures, and an inversion

What are the three stages of a thunderstorm?

• Developing, Intermediate, Final

• Forming, Active, Dissipating

• Cumulus, Mature, Dissipating

• Warm front, Cold front, Occluded

What characterizes the cumulus stage of a thunderstorm?

• Continuous updrafts creating low-pressure areas

• Lightning and hail formation

• Heavy precipitation and strong winds

• Only downdrafts and rain

During which stage does a thunderstorm reach its greatest intensity?

• Cumulus Stage

• Mature Stage

• Dissipating Stage

• Final Stage

What is virga, and why is it hazardous to pilots?

• Light precipitation that evaporates before reaching the ground, causing turbulent conditions

• Ice crystals forming at high altitudes

• A cloud formation that blocks visibility

• A type of thunderstorm with no wind shear

What characterizes the dissipating stage of a thunderstorm?

• Predominantly downdrafts

• Predominantly updrafts

• Equal balance of updrafts and downdrafts

• No wind movement at all

What is always associated with a thunderstorm?

• Tornadoes

• Lightning

• Snow

• Fog

What is the term for thunderstorms that form in long, narrow bands ahead of a cold front, often too wide to penetrate?

• Supercell Thunderstorms

• Squall-line Thunderstorms

• Frontal Thunderstorms

• Low-pressure Thunderstorms

What is wind shear, and why is it dangerous to aircraft?

• Sudden changes in wind speed and/or direction over a short distance, causing turbulence

• A cold front with increasing wind speeds

• A sudden drop in air pressure before a thunderstorm

• A steady increase in wind speed at high altitudes

What are microbursts, and why should sUAS pilots avoid them?

• Small-scale intense downdrafts that spread outward, causing loss of control

• Small, weak tornadoes forming within a storm

• A type of turbulence that only affects large aircraft

• Large, sustained updrafts found in storm systems