Air Masses

Air mass This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BYSA *The cause for changes in weather *large body of air where temperature and moisture content are similar throughout. *Characterized by their moisture content and temperature *One air mass hovers over Gulf of Mexico. The mass is warm and wet because it is warm (temp)there with a lot of evaporating water(moisture content) .

Types of air masses Maritime-forms over water (wet) This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA Maritime-forms over water (wet) Continental- forms over dry land (dry) Polar-forms over polar regions (cold) Tropical-develops over tropics (warm)

Continental Polar (cP) Maritime polar (mP) Cold air masses in US Maritime polar Continental Polar (cP) Maritime polar (mP)

Continental Polar *forms over Northern Canada This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA *forms over Northern Canada *brings extremely cold winter weather to U.S. *In summer, it brings cool, dry weather

Maritime Polar *Forms over North Pacific Ocean *Cool and wet This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC *Forms over North Pacific Ocean *Cool and wet *Brings rain and snow in winter to Pacific Coast *Brings foggy weather in summer to Pacific Coast

Maritime polar *Forms over North Atlantic *cool, cloudy weather and precipitation to New England in winter *cool and foggy weather to New England in the summer

*Maritime Tropical (mT) *Continental Tropical (cT) Warm air Masses This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND *Maritime Tropical (mT) *Continental Tropical (cT)

Maritime Tropical *develops over warm areas in the Pacific Ocean This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY *develops over warm areas in the Pacific Ocean *milder than the maritime POLAR air masses that form in the Pacific Ocean *can develop over warm waters in Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean *Move North across East Coast and into Midwest *In summer, it brings hot/humid weather, hurricanes, thunderstorms-think FL *In winter, it brings mild, cloudy weather-think FL

Continental Tropics This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA *forms over deserts of Northern Mexico and Southwestern US *moves Northward *brings clear, dry, hot weather in the summer-think AZ (YUCK!!!)