Question

The figures below are surface weather maps from Superstorm 1993, which produced blizzard conditions across much of the eastern U.S. Hurricane-force winds were also reported along with scattered tornadoes. Overall, the storm system killed 318 people. The weather maps have isobars (labeled in millibars), low pressure, high pressure, cold fronts, warm fronts, stationary fronts, and precipitation intensity (the darker the shaded area, the more intense the precipitation) all plotted for you. Use this information to answer the following questions: What happened to the intensity of the storm as it moved from the Gulf of Mexico north-northeast across the eastern United States? Note the path of Superstorm 1993 from the top to bottom in the figures on the left. This storm produced a copious amount of rain and snow across the eastern U.S. How could the path of the storm have an influence on the amount of precipitation that fell?

Answer 1

Hello. You forgot to present the maps needed to answer that question. The maps are attached.

Answer and Explanation:

a. Through the maps we can perceive a tendency to increase the intensity of the storm, as it moves from the Gulf of Mexico towards the easternmost part of the USA. You will be able to conclude this when looking at the map from March 13, 1993, at that point it will be possible to see the increase in the shaded area that indicates the increase in storm intensity.

B. It is possible to notice a very low pressure forming as you approach the Gulf of Mexico region. This low pressure causes the air to rise which adds a lot of moisture to the atmosphere. The tendency is that as the air rises, it gets colder and colder and begins to condense forming clouds that will cause rain in the region where it is concentrated.