Meteorology 302.01, Spring 2004

Class Notes for Feb.27, 2004

Randall Mena

Matt Brown

Announcements:

Midterm #1 postponed to Wed. March 3rd (Will be

discussed Mon.)

No new Reading

Housekeeping

SFSU Flash Flood - An inch of rain came down within 20

minutes.

Pictures are posted on class website.

Reviewed Fronts

Hurricane Names

Hurricanes used to be categorized by number, but now

are given names because it is easier for people to

remember.

For storms originating in the Eastern Atlantic there

are 6 lists each containing names that start with the

letters A-W :

2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

After six years a list will be repeated.

For storms originating in the Eastern North Pacific

there are 6 lists each containing names that start

with the letters A-z:

It goes to Z because the Eastern North Pacific is the

most active storm production area in the world.

There are also lists for the Central North Pacific,

and Western North Pacific.

The names are unique to each region. If a storm causes

extreme damage, its name will be retired.

Fronts

Cold Fronts are labeled with blue filled in triangles.

The triangles will point away from the cold air mass.

Warm Fronts are labeled with red filled in

half-circles. The half-circles will point away from

the warm air mass.

When considering fronts, the temperature of an air

mass is relative to the temperature of the air mass on

the other side of the front. There is no absolute

temperature that is "warm" or "cold".

Cyclones - have air that moves in the same direction

as the Earth rotates.

Anticyclones - have air that moves in the opposite

direction as the Earth rotates.

Saffir- Simpson Scale : another method of classifying

Hurricanes (will go into more next class lecture).

Coriolis Effect: spinning of air masses because of

rotation of the earth (will go into more next class

lecture).