Meteorology 2603
Severe and Unusual Weather
Problem Set #2

Distributed Friday, 23 February 2001
Due Monday, 5 March 2001

1.  Referring to Table 1 on page 117 in the text, what is the relative humidity of a parcel of air if the vapor pressure is 4.3 millibars and the air temperature is 30 degrees Fahrenheit?

2.  If the air temperature in problem 1 is increased to 85 degrees Fahrenheit without adding moisture to the parcel, what is the relative humidity?   Explain this result.

3.  Suppose a saturated parcel of air having a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius at the ground begins ascending a mountain that is 3 km tall.  At the top of the mountain, all of the moisture has been removed from the parcel in the form of rain, and the parcel then descends on the other (leeward) side of the mountain.  What is the temperature of the parcel at the ground on the leeward side?  Explain your result.

4.  Explain the meso high and meso low within a classic squall line.

5.  Explain why squall lines require low-level environmental wind shear to be long-lived.