Which air masses exist in the northern portion of North America? Maritime Polar (mP); Continental Polar (cP); Continental Arctic (cA) Which air masses exist in the southern portion of North America?
Continental Polar Air Masses cold temperatures and little moisture Those who live in northern portions of the United States expect cold weather during the winter months. These conditions usually result from the invasion of cold arctic air masses that originate from the snow covered regions of northern Canada.
CONTINENTAL TROPICAL AIR MASS. METEOROLOGIST JEFF HABY. The source region for cT air is the desert Southwest, the high plains and Mexico with relation to the United States. The air has low dewpoints and warm to hot afternoon temperatures but with mild nighttime temperature.
The maritime tropical air mass is the warm humidity often felt in the air in the southeastern part of the United States. It is the result of the combination of direct sunshine, the Gulf Stream and the Gulf of Mexico. The area experiences a large amount of water in the air due to evaporation of the ...
Continental Polar Air Masses cold temperatures and little moisture Those who live in northern portions of the United States expect cold weather during the winter months. These conditions usually result from the invasion of cold arctic air masses that originate from the snow covered regions of northern Canada.
Polar maritime. This air mass has its origins over northern Canada and Greenland and reaches the British Isles on a north-westerly air stream. Polar maritime is the most common air mass to affect the British Isles.
In northern Scotland, arctic maritime is usually the coldest air mass, but over the rest of Britain, this air mass is not as cold as polar continental. Returning polar maritime Returning polar maritime is another version of polar maritime, but this time with a longer sea track which takes the air first southwards over the North-Atlantic, the north-eastwards across the British isles.
Continental tropical air masses are hot and dry. Their air is carried from Mexico and the southwestern U.S., and only impacts U.S. weather during the summertime. While cT air is unstable, it tends to remain cloudless due to its extremely low humidity content.
Maritime tropical air masses originate over the warm waters of the tropics and Gulf of Mexico, where heat and moisture are transferred to the overlying air from the waters below. The northward movement of tropical air masses transports warm moist air into the United States, increasing the potential for precipitation.