EAS-E 144 Extreme Weather & Its Impacts January 16, 2020
Spring 2020 Homework 1
Due: Tuesday, 28 January, at the start of class
What is the Purpose of this Assignment?
We can’t talk about anything related to weather if we don’t know where we are.
Geography matters – so let’s spend a little bit of time looking at important places on the
map (Q1) and learning where certain kinds of extreme weather occur (Q2). Then, you’ll
get some more practice with winter precipitation (Q3, Q4) to help further prepare for the
exam.
What is Expected of my Submitted Work?
This assignment is worth a total of 15 points. You’ll earn one point for submitting work
that meets all these criteria:
– Name is on it
– All of it is typed – except for the map in Q1 and the table in Q4, which you may do
neatly and cleanly by hand if you choose
– It is stapled, if necessary
– It is not crumpled, wadded, frayed, stained with coffee, etc.
– It is submitted on time
The Questions
1. Geography [3 pts]
Using the map provided with this homework, please:
➢ Draw a line along the crest of the Rocky Mountains and label it “Rockies.”
➢ Draw a second line along the crest of the Sierra Nevada and label it
“Sierras.”
➢ Draw a third line along the crest of the Appalachian Mountains and label it
“Appalachians.”
➢ Label the Atlantic Coastal Plain (ACP) and the Great Plains (GP).
➢ Put a dot at each of these cities: Wichita, Kansas; Bloomington, Indiana;
Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Denver, Colorado; and Panama City, Florida. Be
precise in your locations. Make sure you label each dot with the city name.
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2. Natural Hazards [3 pts]
Lisa wants to live in a place so she can experience as many thunderstorms, violent
tornadoes, AND hurricanes as possible, each year. I don’t know why, but she
does. Where in the United States should Lisa choose to live?
Here is some data that will help you.
➢ A map of annual number of thunderstorm days in the United States:
https://www.weather.gov/jetstream/tstorms_intro
➢ A map of “violent” tornado activity in the United States:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornado#/media/File:Tornado_Alley.gif
➢ A map of how often hurricanes make landfall in the United States:
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/images/return_hurr.jpg
For this question, you should produce one or two succinct, well-written
sentences that answer the question for Lisa . Provide a justification for your
answer, using proper English and using scientific language (not “hoo boy, it’s
stormy there!” but “This location has experienced over 50 tornadoes in the last 50
years”). The geographic part of your answer will probably consist of a list of
states, but definitely should not include more than four or five.
3. Vertical Temperature Profiles [4 pts]
Weather balloons were launched at four different locations through a winter
weather system. The temperature profiles from these balloons, called
“soundings,” are shown below. Match the temperature profiles to their most
likely precipitation types.
1. Which sounding would have been launched in freezing rain at the ground?
2. Which sounding would have been launched in rain?
3. Which sounding would have been launched in snow?
4. Which sounding would have been launched in sleet?
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It turns out that the four weather balloons above, E, F, G, and H, were all launched
exactly in a north-south line. If we look at this temperature data from the side, a
“cross section,” we get the diagram below. Your task: again identify the most
likely precipitation type at each location.
5. On the cross section above, freezing rain formed via melting and refreezing
is most likely to occur at point _____.
6. Based on the cross section, snow is most likely to occur at point _____.
7. Based on the cross section, rain is most likely to occur at point _____.
8. Based on the cross section, sleet is most likely to occur at point _____.
4. Winter Precipitation Forecast Errors [4 pts]
My friend Kevin is a fantastic meteorologist, but even he makes mistakes
sometimes. Consider the temperature forecast he has made below for the city of
Edoras during a precipitation event.
Task 1: Let’s think about what would happen if he makes a mistake: what if the
temperatures end up warmer than what he predicts they will be? In the “Warmer
Scenario” column, add 1.5°C to each temperature that Kevin has forecast.
Some forecasts can be in error by as much as 2° or 3°C – yikes!
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Task 2: First, what would be the precipitation forecast that Kevin would make if
his temperatures were exactly right? And second, what would happen to his
forecast if the temperatures ended up more like the Warmer Scenario column?
What is it that produced such a major change in the resulting forecast? Write
complete sentences, describing the entirety of your forecast process – do not just
write “well, it warmed up some.”
Grading Rubric for Homework 1
Question 1: [3 pts] – 10 things to label, so 0.3 pt each – half for the correct location, half for a proper label
Question 2: [3 pts]
– Earn up to 2 points for a correct geographic answer
– Earn up to 1 point for a convincing, well-written explanation ← your writing matters!
Question 3: [4 pts]
– ½ point per correct answer, 8 parts total (be careful, there’s no real way to get partial credit here)
Question 4: [4 pts]
– 2 points for correct data in the table (be careful, there’s no real way to get partial credit here)
– 1 point for correct forecasts (½ point each)
– 1 point for well-written summary sentence ← your writing matters!
Professionalism: 1 pt
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Map for Question 1
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