1. The weather data used to compile surface maps are obtained primarily from what instruments? (a) Doppler radars (b) wind profilers (c) rawinsondes (d) Automated Surface Observing Systems (ASOS) (e) Aeronautical Radio Inc., Communications Addressing and Reporting Systems (ACARS)
2. Non automated surface weather observation is made every day at Fresno Airport at 0300 UTC. At what local time in January is the measurement made? (a) 6:00 PM (b) 8:00 PM (c) 5:00 PM (d) 7:00 PM (e) 9:00 PM
3. Temperature, pressure, wind and moisture are measured through the depth of the troposphere by what instrument? (a) rawinsonde (b) wind profiler (c) Doppler radar (d) GOES satellite
4. What is the name given to the final weather product created with data gathered from a rawin-sonde? (a) sounding (b) surface analysis (c) reflectivity image (d) wind profiler data image (e) weather balloon-o-gram
5. Which statement(s) is (are) true concerning "El Niño"? (a)The term "El Niño" originally was used by fishermen to refer to a warm ocean current along South America's west coast. (b)El Niño is Spanish for "the Christ Child". (c)Residents of coastal Peru and Ecuador associate El Nino with drought. (d)All of the above are correct. (e)(a) and (b) are correct, (c) is incorrect.
6. When an El Niño is occurring, which of the following is true? (a)The surface pressure is above-normal at Tahiti. (b)The surface pressure is below-normal at Darwin, Australia. (c)The trade winds are stronger than normal. (d)All of the above are correct. (e)None of the above is correct.
7. The Southern Oscillation Index is determined by monitoring which variable? (a)sea surface temperature (b)sea level pressure (c)sea level elevation (d)wind speeds
8. The forecasting technique that produces several versions of a forecast model, each beginning with slightly different weather information to reflect errors in the measurements, is called: a. climatology forecasting b. redundancy analysis c. persistence forecasting d. ensemble forecasting e. probability forecasting
9. A weather warning indicates that: a. the atmospheric conditions are favorable for hazardous weather over a particular region. b. hazardous weather is either imminent or occurring within the forecast area. c. hazardous weather is likely to occur within the forecast area during the next 24 hours. d. hazardous weather is frequently observed in a particular region.
10. The period over which the rates of change of variables are evaluated is known as ___________ and is usually _______________ a. Timestring, 10 minutes b. Timestep, 10 minutes c. Timestep, 5 minutes d. Timestep, 20 minutes
11. The least accurate forecast method of predicting the weather two days into the future during changeable weather conditions is usually the: a. trend method. b. persistence forecast. c. analogue method. d. prediction by weather types. e. numerical weather prediction.
12. A persistence forecast could be quite accurate when: a. a frontal system approaches your location at constant speed. b. you are positioned in the middle of a large, stationary air mass. c. the weather has been unusually cold for several days. d. upper level winds blow straight from west to east.
13. A forecast method that compares past weather maps and weather patterns to those of the present is: a. persistence forecasting. b. the analogue method. c. the trend method. d. nowcasting.
14. Suppose that where you live the middle of January is typically several degrees warmer than the rest of the month. If you forecast this "January thaw" for the middle of next January, you would have made a: a. forecast based on the analogue method. b. persistence forecast. c. forecast based on weather types. d. probability forecast. e. climatological forecast.