Give the sky moisture, unstable air and a lifting force, then run the clock. Watch a single storm build, mature and die in about an hour: updrafts, downdrafts, rain, hail, lightning and the gust front. Then fire off a microburst.
Each card ties one test idea to something you can change above.
A thunderstorm needs enough moisture, an unstable lapse rate and a lifting force: daytime heating, a front, or air pushed up a slope. Take any one away and the storm can't form.
Turn off one ingredient at a time.
Updrafts dominate. The cloud grows quickly upward, and water droplets build up but haven't fallen to the ground yet.
Drag the clock between 0 and 15 minutes.
It starts when rain reaches the ground. Updrafts and downdrafts sit side by side: heavy rain, hail, lightning, severe turbulence, and a gust front racing out ahead. This is the most dangerous stage.
Watch the red and blue particles side by side.
Downdrafts take over and cut off the warm air feeding the storm. Rain tapers off and the anvil spreads out, but lightning can still strike.
Run past 35 minutes and watch the tower collapse.
A small, violent downdraft, usually less than 1 mile across. It can drop at 6,000 ft per minute and hit the ground with outflow winds around 45 kt. Most last about 15 minutes, with peak winds about 5 minutes after the downdraft hits the ground.
Trigger a microburst during the mature stage.
Lightning can strike 10 miles or more from the storm, out of clear sky. Pilots are told to avoid severe storms by at least 20 NM. If you can hear thunder, you're in range: land and wait 30 minutes after the last thunder.
Slide your site out until the verdict turns green.
Practice questions written for this app.