Training Guide in Surface Weather Observations - Multiple Choices

34. Precipitation is:
a. any particle falling from the sky
b. any form of water particles that fall from the atmosphere and reache the ground
c. any form of water found at the earth’s surface
d. water in any state (liquid, solid, vapor) moving through the atmosphere
35. Match the following precipitation types with their definitions:
drizzle a. a fall of unbranched ice crystals in the form of needles, columns,
or plates
rain b. small balls or other pieces of ice
snow c. mostly branched ice crystals in the form of six-pointed stars
snow grains d. transparent or translucent pellets of ice with diameters less than
5 mm
ice crystals e. fine drops of liquid precipitation with diameters less than 0.5 mm
ice pellets f. very small, white, and opaque grains of ice
hail g. liquid precipitation drops with diameters greater than 0.5 mm
snow pellets h. white, opaque grains of ice with diameters from 2 to 5 mm
36. Match the following obscurations with their definition:
mist volcanic ash haze fog
widespread dust spray smoke sand
a. visible aggregate of minute water particles based at the earth’s surface that reduce horizontal
visibility to less than 5/8 statute miles
b. fine particles of earth or other material raised or suspended in the air by the wind
c. a suspension in the air of small particles produced by combustion
d. an ensemble of water droplets torn by the wind from the surface of an extensive body of water
e. visible aggregate of minute water particles based at the earth’s surface that reduces horizontal
visibility to less than 7 statute miles but not less than 5/8 statute miles
f. sand particles raised by the wind
g. fine particles of rock power that originate from a volcano
h. a suspension in the air of extremely small, dry particles that give the air an opalescent
appearance
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