CPL Meteorology and Weather Interpretation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the definition of a 'cold front'?
- A boundary where cold air replaces warm air at the surface (Correct answer)
- A boundary where warm air replaces cold air at the surface
- A stationary boundary between two air masses
- An upper-level trough of cold air
Correct answer: A boundary where cold air replaces warm air at the surface
A cold front is the leading edge of a cooler air mass that replaces warmer air at the surface.
Question 2: Which cloud type is most associated with severe turbulence, lightning, and heavy precipitation?
- Altostratus
- Cumulonimbus (Correct answer)
- Nimbostratus
- Stratocumulus
Correct answer: Cumulonimbus
Cumulonimbus clouds (thunderstorms) produce the most hazardous flying conditions including severe turbulence, hail, and lightning.
Question 3: A pilot observes a METAR reporting '+TSRA'. What does the '+' indicate?
- Vicinity (within 10 SM)
- Light intensity
- Heavy intensity (Correct answer)
- Freezing precipitation
Correct answer: Heavy intensity
In METAR weather codes, '+' prefix indicates heavy intensity of the following phenomenon.
Question 4: What weather phenomenon is indicated by the PIREP term 'CAT'?
- Cumulus at altitude
- Clear air turbulence (Correct answer)
- Cirrus and thunderstorms
- Cold air temperature
Correct answer: Clear air turbulence
CAT stands for Clear Air Turbulence, which occurs at altitude without visible clouds or precipitation.
Question 5: The dew point spread (temperature minus dew point) is 4°C. What does this suggest?
- Very dry air with low fog risk
- Air is far from saturation
- High relative humidity and possible fog or low clouds (Correct answer)
- Freezing level is near the surface
Correct answer: High relative humidity and possible fog or low clouds
A small dew point spread (≤4°C) indicates the air is near saturation, favoring fog, low clouds, or precipitation.
Question 6: Which type of icing is considered most hazardous to aircraft because it is clear, heavy, and difficult to detect?
- Rime ice
- Mixed ice
- Clear (glaze) ice (Correct answer)
- Frost
Correct answer: Clear (glaze) ice
Clear or glaze ice forms from large supercooled water droplets and accumulates rapidly as a heavy, transparent sheet, making it especially dangerous.
Question 7: What does a Station Model barometric pressure reading of '132' represent in millibars?
- 1013.2 mb (Correct answer)
- 132.0 mb
- 1132.0 mb
- 013.2 mb
Correct answer: 1013.2 mb
Station model pressures drop the leading '9' or '10' and the decimal; '132' decodes to 1013.2 mb.
CPL Meteorology and Weather Interpretation 2
What is the definition of a 'cold front'?