Air masses, fronts and the weather they bring
Grade 6 Science Worksheet
Circle the best answer.
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?
- A quick storm, then cooler, drier air
- No change; fronts are just map lines
- Days of steady rain, then warmer, humid air
- Warmer, more humid air afterward
A warm front slowly moves into Esme's area. Which weather pattern comes with it?
- Cooler, drier air right away
- Hours of steady, light rain, then warmer air
- A quick storm, then cooler air
- Clear skies the whole time
A front stalls over Jun's town for three days. Which weather is likely?
- Nothing; fronts have to keep moving
- Several days of clouds and rain
- Clear skies, since the front stopped
- A quick storm, then clear skies
“Weather map:” A cold front moving east lies between City A (to the west, 55°F) and City B (to the east, 80°F). Which city does Kira expect storms in next?
- Both cities at the same time
- City B, ahead of the front
- City A, behind the front
- Neither; fronts don't bring storms
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.
A rainstorm is over Kansas today. Where is it most likely to be tomorrow, by Milo's forecast?
- Still over Kansas, since storms stay put
- Farther west, over Colorado
- Straight north into Canada
- Farther east, toward Missouri
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?
- Nothing; the two air masses mix quietly
- Thunderstorms
- Clear skies, since the dry air wins
- Snow, since desert air is cold
a wedge of cold air moving right and pushing into warm, humid air; arrows over the warm air are blank. Cold air from Canada pushes into warm, humid air over Iowa. What happens to the warm air, in Pia's notes?
- It turns into cold, dry air at once on contact
- Nothing; the air masses stay apart
- It sinks underneath the cold air
- It is pushed up, cools and forms clouds
“Side view:” A warm front is moving north toward Ren's town. Where do its first clouds usually appear?
- Right on the front line, not before
- Far ahead of the front, as warm air slides up
- Nowhere; warm fronts bring clear skies
- Behind the front, after it passes
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.
Tala reads a weather log from one afternoon. About when did the cold front pass?
- Around 6 p.m., when the sky cleared
- Around 1 p.m., when it was warmest
- It was a warm front, since the day began warm
- Around 4 p.m., with the storm and wind shift
Ari's barometer rises steadily for two days, from 29.70 to 30.20 inches. Which weather does Ari expect?
- More clouds and rain as low pressure deepens
- Clearing skies as high pressure moves in
- No change, since pressure doesn't matter
- A warm front with steady rain