Sci 102/Sci 114 (Meteorology)

CHAPTER THREE

WEATHER PATTERNS AND SYSTEMS

Introduction
Have you ever noticed how there will be beautiful, sunny weather for days on
end, but then one day you wake up and it's gray and raining? The rain doesn't always
stop within the day either, and sometimes the gloomy days go on just as the sunny days
did. When the weather maintains consistency for a period of time it's called a weather
pattern. While weather systems describe the development of depressions, the different
features within them (the warm front, the warm sector, the cold front, and the occluded
front), and the likely weather produced. Changes in weather are important to human
life, as it governs our daily activities and brings moisture to nourish agriculture and be
consumed. More serious weather, like tornados and hurricanes, can cause severe
damage to people and properties. In this chapter, you will be learning about the different
aspects of weather patterns, weather system, how they develop, their movement and
effects to weather conditions.

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the chapter, you will be able to:
1. organize information about weather events and conditions, identify patterns, and
make connections between weather and climate.
2. explain how air masses and weather fronts together affect weather conditions.
3. describe the different types of weather and what causes weather changes to take place.

3.1 Weather Patterns

3.1 Four Seasons of the Year
Have you noticed that sometimes the weather will repeat itself several days in a
row. For example, the weather could be cold and rainy for several days in a row. Another
example is a month of repeating hot and dry weather. Meteorologists refer to repeating
weather as a weather pattern. It is common for the weather to become locked in a
repeating pattern. The same weather will occur day after day. Then suddenly one day
the weather changes and for example dry weather for 2 weeks becomes rainy weather
for a week. When this happens it is referred to as a weather pattern change.

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A weather pattern occurs when the weather stays the same for days or weeks at a
time. The patterns of weather are tied to the four seasons: summer, winter, spring, and
fall. There are a few different weather patterns that you may already know about, such
as hot and dry, wet and rainy, or cold.
When we think of the seasons of the year, we usually think of the climate that
accompanies it. Summer is hot, winter is cold. And the monsoon, well, it’s wet. But
have you wondered why the seasons occur at all? And how different areas experience
these seasons at different times? In fact, some places don’t have a distinct monsoon at
all.
There are mainly four seasons of the year – Summer, winter, autumn and spring.
Each of these is accompanied by a change in the weather and the surrounding
environment.
1. Spring is the beginning of the cycle. New vegetation grows, and the weather is
generally warm and sunny. Sometimes it rains in spring. It’s the time when the plants
and animals come alive and out of hibernation.
2. Summer is the hot weather season. Temperatures run highest in summer,
accompanied by, depending on the location, extreme humidity or dryness. It is also a
time for heat waves and droughts, and even forest fires in some areas. Summer is a time
for long days.
3. Autumn marks the beginning of cool weather. It is the time when leaves turn
yellow/brown, and animals begin preparations because “winter is coming”. It is also
harvest season, which is a cause for celebration in most cultures.
4. Winter is the coldest period of the year. The time when animals hibernate, and
vegetation decreases. There is a general lull in the environment and in areas where it
snows, it is snowman time. The days are shortest in winter.
What causes the change of seasons?
Now, we come to the why behind the seasons. There are two major factors that
influence the seasons. They are :
 tilt of the earth’s axis as it orbits the sun
 location on earth

Why are seasons different around the world?

We know that different areas on earth experience the seasons at different times.
This means that when people in the northern hemisphere experience winter, the people
in the southern hemisphere experience summer. Which hemisphere experiences which
season depends on the axial tilt of the earth. The earth’s spin axis is tilted at an angle of
around 23.5 degrees. Thus, the side of the earth that is tilted towards the sun as it
revolves around it experiences summer, while the opposite side experiences winter. In
some locations, the earth isn’t tilted towards or away from the sun. At these times, these
regions experience spring and autumn.
We have often heard that the poles experience 6 months of summer followed by
months of winter. Considering this, shouldn’t the snow at the poles melt in the summer?
This again is avoided because of the earth’s tilted axis. Even as the earth spins, the poles
do not move. Hence, they never face the sun directly. This means, it never gets warm

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enough for the snow at the poles to melt. And thus, our poles always remain cold and
experience frigid winters. On the other hand, the equatorial region of the sun-facing
hemisphere gets maximum sun-
exposure, and thus experiences
hotter summers. Some parts of
the polar regions are so consistently
cold — and the tropics so hot —
they could pass for having only one
season. Even the sunniest Antarctic
day is as cold as winter in most
places. This is because the light
reaching the bottom of the planet is
at such a low angle it doesn't carry
much heat.
On the other hand, the
tropics are consistently hot. It doesn't matter if they are tilted towards or away from the
Sun, they are still closer to it than anywhere else on Earth and they get plenty of direct
light and heat. But both places have two distinct seasons.
In the polar regions, the main difference comes down to the amount of daylight.
During 'summer', the whole area is tilted towards the sun and flooded with sunlight.
Daytime at the poles lasts for half the year. And the polar night lasts almost as long —
making for one very long, dark winter.
In the tropics,
the difference
between seasons is
due to rainfall. The
wet is caused by a
permanent belt of
storm clouds
around the middle
of the planet that
dumps huge
volumes of rain on
the land or sea
below. The tilt of
the planet and some super-sized sea breezes, the storm belt does not stay in one place.
During the northern summer, the hot air over the land rises, sucking the storm belt as
far north as the Tropic of Cancer, doling out monsoons wherever it goes. As the northern
summer ends the storms are down towards the Tropic of Capricorn, driving the southern
tour of the monsoons.
The belt travels across the equator twice a year, once going south and once on
the way back up. If they've got the right combination of mountains, wind and sea
temperature, some equatorial areas such as Philippines can score two wet seasons each
year. Fortunately, the top end is far enough from the equator to just have the one wet
season.
3.2 Air Pressure Systems

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3.2 a. Low Pressure System

A low-pressure system, also called a depression or cyclone, is an area where
the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of the area surrounding it. This is due to a
mass of warm air rising, cooling and condensing, as it can no longer hold as much water
vapor. Lows are usually associated with high winds, warm air, and atmospheric lifting.
Under these conditions, lows normally produce clouds, precipitation, and other turbulent
weather, such as tropical storms and cyclones.
Areas prone to low pressure do not have extreme diurnal (day versus night) nor
extreme seasonal temperatures because the clouds present over such areas reflect
incoming solar radiation back into the atmosphere. As a result, they cannot warm as
much during the day (or in the summer), and at night, they act as a blanket, trapping
heat below.
Air is lifted in and around areas of low pressure. Remember, air pressure is the
weight of the atmosphere above you. When there is a large area of low pressure, there
is less air above so the air at the surface tends to rise.
3.2 b. High-Pressure Systems
A high-pressure system, sometimes called an anticyclone, is an area where the
atmospheric pressure is greater than that of the surrounding area. These systems move
clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counter clockwise in the Southern
Hemisphere due to the Coriolis Effect.
High-pressure areas are normally caused by a phenomenon called subsidence,
meaning that as the air in the highs cools, it becomes denser and moves toward the
ground. Pressure increases here because more air fills the space left from the low.
Subsidence also evaporates most of the atmosphere's water vapor, so high-pressure
systems are usually associated with clear skies and calm weather.
Unlike areas of low pressure, the absence of clouds means that areas prone to high-
pressure experience extremes in diurnal and
seasonal temperatures since there are no clouds to
block incoming solar radiation or trap outgoing
longwave radiation at night. Alternatively, an area
of high pressure is like a hill of air in the
atmosphere. The air in and around high pressure
sinks and spreads outward at the surface.
This image on the right shows the general pattern
of air flow around low and high pressure. Air is feeding into the center of a low at the
surface in a counter-clockwise direction. When the air meets in the middle of a low, it
has to rise (it can't dive down into the Earth) and as it cools clouds are formed. The
opposite circulation occurs around highs with sinking air spreading in a clockwise
direction.
An L on a weather map shows where the weather action is. Low pressure regions
always create clouds and usually precipitation because the rising air cools and the water
vapor condenses. High pressure regions are usually associated with dry weather because
as the air inks it gradually warms up and the moisture evaporates.
Another way to think about low and high pressure is to consider how and why the
wind blows. Wind is air in motion. The wind blows from areas of high pressure to areas
of low pressure. Its direction is influenced by the Earth's rotation. Some of this is rising

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and sinking air (vertical motion) but most of the time when we talk about winds we are
talking about horizontal motion along the surface. A forecast of south winds of 12 to 20
mph means the surface winds will be 12 to 20 miles per hour from the south.
The lines around high and low pressure on a weather
map are called isobars, or lines of equal pressure, as
shown on the left. When isobars are close together it
is very windy; when they are farther apart, conditions
are more calm. The wind around highs always blows
in a clockwise direction. ("clockwise" refers to the
direction that the hands on a clock tick) and winds
around lows flows in the opposite direction, or
counter-clockwise.
3.3 Weather System
Weather systems are simply the movement of warm and cold air across the
globe. The heat received from the Sun is not evenly spread across the globe, with a
positive heat balance at the tropical latitudes, and a negative energy balance at the Poles.
These global variations in temperature result in pressure differences in the air. This is
because warmer air becomes less dense and rises, creating areas of low pressure, and
colder air is denser so therefore sinks, creating areas of high pressure. The atmosphere
seeks to balance out the uneven distribution of heat energy budget and pressures at the
different latitudes in several different ways.
3.3 a. Air Masses
An air mass is a large mass of air that has similar characteristics of temperature
and humidity within it. An air mass acquires these characteristics above an area of land
or water known as its source region. When the air mass sits over a region for several
days, or longer, it picks up the distinct temperature and humidity characteristics of that
region.
Formation of Air Mass
Where an air mass receives its characteristics of temperature and humidity is
called the source region. Air masses are slowly pushed along by high-level winds, when
an air mass moves over a new region, it shares its temperature and humidity with that
region. So the temperature and humidity of a particular location depends partly on the
characteristics of the air mass that sits over it.
Storms arise if the air mass and the region it moves over have different character
ristics. For example, when a colder air mass moves over warmer ground, the bottom
layer of air is heated. That air rises, forming clouds, rain, and sometimes thunderstorms.
How would a moving air mass form an inversion? When a warmer air mass travels over
colder ground, the bottom layer of air cools and, because of its high density, is trapped
near the ground.
In general, cold air masses tend to flow toward the equator and warm air masses
tend to flow toward the poles. This brings heat to cold areas and cools down areas that
are warm. It is one of the many processes that act towards balancing out the planet’s
temperatures. Air masses are slowly pushed along by high-level winds. When an air
mass moves over a new region, it shares its temperature and humidity with that region.
So the temperature and humidity of a particular location depends partly on the

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characteristics of the air mass that sits over it. Air masses are classified based on their
temperature and humidity characteristics. Below are examples of how air masses are
classified over North America.
a. Maritime tropical (mT) – moist, warm air mass. Maritime Tropical is an
unstable air mass. Also, it is moist, humid, and
warm. Maritime Tropical air masses also
develop in two different places. They can
develop in the Gulf of Mexico or the
Caribbean Sea and move towards the north.
They can also come from the subtropical
Pacific Ocean and shift towards the north.
b. Continental tropical (cT) – dry, warm
air mass. The Continental air mass is very hot
and dessicated. This air mass can be stable or
unstable, depending on where the air mass is
located. Usually if the air mass is at a low-level, it is unstable and if the air mass is at a
high-level it is stable. These air masses start off in northern Mexico and, of course, move
north.
c. Maritime polar (mP) – moist, cold air mass. The Maritime Polar air mass is also
cool for the same reason. But it differs from cP because it is moist and
unstable. Maritime Polar air masses can develop in two different places. They can
transpire in Asia and start out as continental polar air masses, then, move east over the
Pacific Ocean. Also, the air masses can come from the opposite side of the continent.
These air masses start off in the north Atlantic, then they move southwest towards the
states that are northeast, like Pennsylvania.
d. Continental polar (cP) – dry, cold air mass. Continental Polar or Arctic- This
air mass is cold because its more towards the north than the other air masses, also, the
air is desiccated. This air mass is stable. These air masses shifts south, then eventually,
east from Northern Canada or Alaska.
In general, cold air masses tend to flow toward the equator and warm air masses
tend to flow toward the poles. This brings heat to cold areas and cools down areas that
are warm. It is one of the many processes that act towards balancing out the planet’s
temperatures.
3.2 b. Weather Front System
The boundaries between air masses are called frontal zones or fronts. This
boundary or front moves along the Earth’s surface as one air mass displaces another.
Fronts don't just exist at the surface of the earth, they have a vertical structure extending
up into the atmosphere as well. When air masses behind fronts collide, warmer air is
always forced up and over the colder air. When the warm, moist air rises, it cools, and
water condenses out into clouds and precipitation. If a cold air mass replaces a warmer
air mass, the boundary is called a cold front. If a warm air mass replaces a cold air mass,
the boundary is called a warm front.
Types of Front

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1. Cold Front
Marked on a map with a blue line and blue
triangles pointing towards the warm air. When
you see a cold front on a weather map, it means a
colder air mass is trying to replace warmer air. The
front marks the leading edge of the cold air. The
blue triangles always point in the direction that the front (and the cold air) is going .It
has slopes of 1/50 to 1/150. It moves from northwest to southeast, travels very far south.
The amount of energy depends on amount of cold air in high-pressure cell. It forms at
the junction of the high-pressure. Cold air with low-pressure forces the warm air
upward. If movement is rapid, with an abundance of water vapor, violent weather takes
place. As warm air is forced upward, it cools, condenses into clouds, creating
thunderstorms associated with cumulus & cumulonimbus clouds ahead of the front in
the warm air.
2. Warm Front
A red line with half-circles on one
side signifies a warm front. A warm
front shows the leading edge of warmer
air trying to replace a colder air mass.
The half circles always point in the
direction that the front (and the warmer
air) is moving. It has a slope ranges from
1/100 to 1/300. Generally associated with stratus type clouds, overcast skies, fog, and
general rain or snow.
3. Stationary Front
Marked by alternating blue lines & blue
triangles (pointed in the direction of the
warmer air) and red lines & red semi-circles
(pointed in the direction of the cooler air).
Usually noted as *quasi*-stationary as it is
rarely ever completely stationary.
4. Occluded Front
Marked by a purple line with alternating purple triangles and purple semi-circles,
all pointing in the direction of the frontal movement. Often, a cold front will travel faster
than a warm front and will eventually catch
up and overtake the warm front. The
boundary created is called an occluded
front or an occlusion. Here, the layer of
warm air is lifted above both layers of cold
air. Preceding the occluded front would be
showers typical of a warm front. But as the
front gets closer, more stormy-like
conditions may prevail.

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3.4 Types of Weather

Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a given place and time in regards to
heat, cloudiness, dryness, sunshine, wind, and rain. Weather can vary greatly and largely
depends on climate, seasons, and various other factors.
Most people find sunny days pleasant. With the absence of clouds, the sun is able
to shine through and provide warmth. A sunny day doesn't always mean it's warm,
though. Cold temperatures and wind can be present on sunny days.
On a cloudy day, the sun's rays are blocked from reaching Earth's surface.
However, it can still be warm on a cloudy day because cloud cover can trap in heat near
the ground. Almost always, rain is associated with clouds. A cloud is nothing more than
a large mass of water vapor. As the temperature drops, the water vapor in the cloud cools
and coalesces into raindrops.
Windy days are primarily formed as a warm air mass rises upward and cold air
rushes in to fill the vacuum. Wind gusts also form as air is pushed into smaller and
smaller spaces. For example, Chicago is infamous for this; the Windy City gets its
nickname because of air rushing in from Lake Michigan. The rushing wind gets
funnelled into narrow paths throughout the city, causing strong wind gusts to blow.
Snow forms in a way similar to rain. As the temperature drops, water vapor in
the clouds turns into snowflakes. Once heavy enough, the cloud will not be able to hold
the snow anymore, and it will begin to fall to the ground.
Changes in weather are primarily the result of a change in temperature, air
pressure, and humidity in the atmosphere. When any of these three variables experience
a substantial change, it can lead to a complete change in weather conditions. Other
variables also play a part in weather formation, but when existing atmospheric
conditions change, these three factors have the biggest influence. For example, a sudden
drop or rise in temperature can cause a significant contrast in the air pressure of
neighbouring air masses, which can result in strong and gusty winds. (As air always
flows from an area of high to an area of low pressure.)
Also, when atmospheric pressure changes into a high-pressure system, it can
lead to clear and sunny skies. On the other hand, when air pressure drops and turns into
a persistent low-pressure system, it can lead to heavy cloud formation and precipitation.
There are literally dozens of reasons why you may be experiencing unpredictable
and fast-changing weather in your area. However, three factors have been identified that
always contribute to erratic atmospheric conditions:
a. Situated in a temperate climate zone.
b. Located in a coastal region.
c. A flat topography characterizes the region.
All three factors can cause erratic fast-changing weather separately and to better
understand how, we need to look at each one individually.

a) Temperate Climate Zone

Of the three major climate zones, the temperate zone is caught between the warm
weather from tropics and cold weather from the polar regions. Depending on the strength
of a weather system, cold air from the polar region will move into a temperate region,
causing temperatures to plummet. It can just as quickly be forced to retreat when a
stronger weather system from the tropics moves into the same area. As a result, it is
possible for a region to experience freezing and stormy weather at one moment, only to

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be replaced by warm and clear weather a few hours (or day) later. A few cities across
the world famous for their unpredictable weather, are situated in temperate climate
zones.

b) Coastal Region
When you live in a coastal
region, the prevailing winds play a
huge part in changes to the weather.
The land and sea heat up and cool
down at different speeds, causing a
difference in temperature to develop
quickly. (Land warms up and cools
down faster than the ocean.)
Depending on the strength of the
difference in air pressure, the result
is a strong sea breeze during late
afternoons and evenings, or a land breeze during the night and early mornings. Not only
do these regions experience constantly changing winds, but also the accompanying
weather systems they blow into the area from either inland or over the ocean. This
combination makes the weather conditions in a coastal region even more unpredictable.
c) Flat Topography
The role of topography in the formation and behavior of weather is often
underestimated. It can be responsible for the presence (or lack) of certain weather
conditions, as well as influence the speed and duration of a weather system. It is the
latter that comes into play when it comes to rapid-changing unpredictable weather.
Where a mountainous terrain may slow down, or even allow weather conditions to die
down, a flat terrain allows weather systems to pass through freely and uninhibited. As a
result of the fast-moving weather, the cold front you are experiencing right now can be
replaced by a warm front and clear skies in a matter of hours. You may even be
confronted by a completely different set of weather conditions by the end of the day. In
a region with flat topography, especially in temperate climate zones, it is only the speed
of the winds that drive the weather, that will determine just how erratic the weather will
be.

References

Weather Patterns and System (2011). Retrieved from https://www.noaa.gov/

education/resource-collections/weather-atmosphere/weather-systems-patterns
Met Office- Weather (n.d.) What are air masses?. Retrieved from https://youtu.
be/kvk-hBFnBTI.
Reynolds, S. & Johnson, J. (2016). Exploring Earth Science. McGraw-Hill
Education. New York. 422-423
Weather Systems (n.d.) Retrieved from https://getintogeography.weebly.com/weather-
systems.html

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Robb, A. (2003). Weather Patterns: Definition, Development & Movement

Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/weather-patterns-definition-
development-movement.html
Weather: Definition & Types. (2015, August 27). Retrieved from
https://study.com/academy/lesson/weather-definition-types-quiz.html.
Weasels, W. (2019) What Causes Weather To Change, Change So Quickly, And Can
It Be Predicted? Retrieved from https://ownyourweather.com/what-causes-
weather-to-change-so-quickly/
CHAPTER ACTIVITIES
Activity 3.1 Seasons
Multiple Choice: Choose the letter of your correct answer by writing it on the answer
sheet provided.
1. What causes the seasons?
a.The earths moon b. The earths tilt c. The suns heat rays d.The ocean
2. Which season has the shortest days but the longer nights?
a. Autumn b.Spring c.Summer d.Winter
3. If the sun is positioned in the top of the sky what season should it be?
a. Why are the seasons in the Northern hemisphere different from the ones in the
Southern hemisphere?
b. Milky-way is making the stars blow up and the stars' light shoots out into the
Earth
c. The sun is moving around the Earth so one half the Earth is fried and the other
half is frozen
d. The sun blows up into pieces
e. during summer or winter one part of the planet is exposed to summer while the
other is exposed to winter
4. What does orbit mean?
a. When the sun heats up the earth
b. The path an object takes to move around something
c. The movement of 2 lines moving
d. When the sun is beaming on a bike
5. What are the four seasons order?
a. Spring,Summer,Autumn,Winter. b. Summer,winter,Autumn,Winter.
c. Winter,Summer,Autumn,Spring. d. Summer,Autumn,Winter,Spring.
6. What would happen if the earth was not on its axis?
a. There will be no seasons b. There would still be seasons
c. The earth will spin slower d. The sun would be closer to the earth
7. What is the longest season
a. summer b. autumn c.winter d.spring
8. Seasons are caused by
a. the sun’s cycle. c. sunspots.
b. the greenhouse effect. d. the tilt of the Earth’s axis.
9.Which of the following is the cause of the change of seasons?
a. the distance of a place from the Equator
b. prevailing winds blowing across land or water
c. the tilt of the Earth’s axis
d. the rotation of the Earth

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10. The northern hemisphere tilts towards the sun during

a. summer b. winter c. autumn d. spring

Activity 3.2 Air mass

Instruction: Complete the table based on the figure given.

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Activity 3.3 Weather System

Label the weather map using the words found in the box. Write your
answers on the answer sheet provided.

High pressure warm air stationary front low pressure cold air
high winds occluded front cold air warm air cold front

Activity 3.4 Weather Front

A. Answer the following:
1. Write down five things that you know about warm and cold fronts.
B. Explain your answer to the following questions:
2. What weather would you expect a city to have if it is

a. in a region of high pressure? d. behind a cold front?

b. In a region of low pressure? e. ahead of a warm front?

f. behind a warm front?
c. ahead of a cold front?

Evaluation
Make a narrative essay (250 words only) describing the different types of
weather that you experienced and explain what could have been the causes of the
weather changes that took place. Narration should include:
a. Introduction
b. Content
c. Reflection (Lesson learned from that experiences

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CHAPTER THREE

WEATHER PATTERNS AND SYSTEMS

ANSWER SHEET

Name:____________________________ Course/Year/ Section___________

Activity 3.1 Seasons
Multiple Choice

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Activity 3.2 Air Mass

Activity 3.2 Weather System

Evaluation

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Activity 3.3 Weather System

Activity 3.3 Weather Front

A. Answer the following:
1. Write down five things that you know about warm and cold fronts.

B. Explain your answer to the following questions:

2. What weather would you expect a city to have if it is
a. in a region of high pressure?

b. In a region of low pressure?

c. ahead of a cold front?

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d. behind a cold front?

e. ahead of a warm front?

f. behind a warm front?

Evaluation
Make a narrative essay (250 words only) describing the different types of weather that
you experienced and explain what could have been the causes of the weather changes
that took place. Narration should include:
a. Introduction
b. Content
c. Reflection (Lesson learned from that experiences)

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