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Activity 1 – Thunderstorms and Fronts

Dear Acme Entertainment Company,

Warm air rises through various ways such as convective uplift, orographic uplift, frontal
wedging, and convergence. Convective Uplift is when the sun warms the ground, the ground
warms the air above it, and the cooler air from above sinks, and the warm air rise.

So if you’re having a concert on a warm

day, it might not be a good idea, so it might be a good alternative to have it at night or wait till a
cooler time of the year. Orographic Uplift is when the wind encounters the mountain range and
the mountain range forces the air upward.

This will not even be a factor, since

Jacksonville does not have mountains. Frontal Wedging is when cold air meets warm air, and the
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cold air forces its way beneath the warm air.

This could happen at any time, so there really aren’t any measures you can take, but you could
watch the news and make sure there aren’t any fronts coming in. So if there are, you can
reschedule the performance.

Convergence is when wind blowing from different directions meets head-to-head, so they have
nowhere to go but up. There is nothing you can do about this, since it’s pretty much
unpredictable.

A front forms when different air masses come together, and it is the narrow zone of transition
that forms between them.

If the colder air advances while the warm air retreats, the transition zone is a cold front. If the
warm air advances while the colder air retreats, the transition zone is a warm front. This would
be good to know since you could be prepare for a cooler or warmer performance and would
know how to handle it.

The three stages of thunderstorm development are the cumulus, mature, and dissipating stage.
The Cumulus stage is when the clouds build upward and laterally.
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This stage of thunderstorm can give you a warning sign, so you can be prepared, know when to
close the roof, protect your concert equipment, etc.

The next stage is the Mature Stage, this is when the cumulus cloud becomes taller and eventually
produces rain, hail, snow, etc

This stage lets you know that you’ve having a thunderstorm.

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The final stage is the Dissipating Stage, this is when precipitation ends, the clouds dissipate, and
the chances for severe weather decreases.

This lets you know that the end of the thunderstorm is near, so you can open the roof, and not
have to worry about any more severe weather, etc.