Air masses, fronts and the weather they bring

Grade 6 Science Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. 1.

   Weather map with a cold front (blue line, triangles) just west of a town dot, moving east. A cold front passes Bo's town in the afternoon. Which weather change is most likely?

   • Warmer, more humid air afterward
   • A quick storm, then cooler, drier air
   • No change; fronts are just map lines
   • Days of steady rain, then warmer, humid air
2. 2.

   A warm front slowly moves into Esme's area. Which weather pattern comes with it?

   • Hours of steady, light rain, then warmer air
   • Cooler, drier air right away
   • Clear skies the whole time
   • A quick storm, then cooler air
3. 3.

   A front stalls over Jun's town for three days. Which weather is likely?

   • A quick storm, then clear skies
   • Nothing; fronts have to keep moving
   • Several days of clouds and rain
   • Clear skies, since the front stopped
4. 4.

   On Luz's map, City P sits under an L and City Q sits under an H. Which city is more likely to have clouds and rain?

   • City P, under the L
   • Both cities equally
   • Neither; pressure has no effect
   • City Q, under the H

5. Read this first

   Use this

   Map of the central United States with a rain area over Kansas; Colorado to the west and Missouri to the east are labeled.

6. 5.

   A rainstorm is over Kansas today. Where is it most likely to be tomorrow, by Milo's forecast?

   • Farther east, toward Missouri
   • Straight north into Canada
   • Farther west, over Colorado
   • Still over Kansas, since storms stay put
7. 6.

   In spring, moist air from the Gulf meets dry desert air over west Texas. What often forms along the line where they meet, says Noah?

   • Clear skies, since the dry air wins
   • Nothing; the two air masses mix quietly
   • Snow, since desert air is cold
   • Thunderstorms
8. 7.

   “Side view:” A warm front is moving north toward Ren's town. Where do its first clouds usually appear?

   • Nowhere; warm fronts bring clear skies
   • Far ahead of the front, as warm air slides up
   • Behind the front, after it passes
   • Right on the front line, not before

9. Table, Weather log (example data), with columns Time, Temperature, Pressure, Wind and Sky

   1 p.m., 82°F (28°C), pressure falling, wind from the south, hazy; 3 p.m., 80°F, lowest pressure, wind from the south, cloudy; 4 p.m., temperature and pressure not recorded, wind shifts to the west, thunderstorm; 6 p.m., 68°F (20°C), pressure rising, wind from the northwest, clearing.

10. 8.

    Tala reads a weather log from one afternoon. About when did the cold front pass?

    • Around 4 p.m., with the storm and wind shift
    • Around 6 p.m., when the sky cleared
    • It was a warm front, since the day began warm
    • Around 1 p.m., when it was warmest
11. 9.

    Using the same log, which entry best shows that cooler, drier air has arrived, by Zee's reading?

    • The 3 p.m. lowest pressure
    • The 1 p.m. south wind
    • The 6 p.m. drop to 68°F with northwest wind
    • The 4 p.m. thunderstorm
12. 10.

    Ari's barometer rises steadily for two days, from 29.70 to 30.20 inches. Which weather does Ari expect?

    • No change, since pressure doesn't matter
    • Clearing skies as high pressure moves in
    • A warm front with steady rain
    • More clouds and rain as low pressure deepens