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ADX · 15% of the exam

Meteorology and Weather Hazards practice questions

10 free Meteorology and Weather Hazards questions for the Aircraft Dispatcher (ADX) Knowledge Test exam, each with the correct answer and an explanation for every option.

Start the questionsFree 10-question ADX quiz

What this domain covers

Basic weather theory and the hazards that follow from it: the atmosphere, pressure, wind, moisture, stability, air masses and fronts, plus icing, turbulence, thunderstorms and wind shear.

Exam weight
15%
On a real exam
≈ 12 questions
In our bank
89 questions

Topics that come up most

  • Atmospheric stability and lapse rates
  • Air masses, fronts and frontal weather
  • Structural icing types and conditions
  • Thunderstorm life cycle and associated hazards
  • Clear air turbulence, mountain waves and wind shear

How to study it

For each front and air mass, write down the cloud, visibility, turbulence and icing you would expect; hazard questions usually start from that picture.

Sample Meteorology and Weather Hazards questions

Try each one before opening the answer. Original questions written to the official exam objectives.

  1. Question 1

    Tropical islands often develop afternoon showers because of:

    • ADaytime heating
    • BPolar outbreaks
    • CTemperature inversions
    • DCalm nights
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) Daytime heating

    • ACorrect. Land heats and air rises.
    • BIncorrect. It's daytime heating.
    • CIncorrect. Inversions suppress showers.
    • DIncorrect. It's daytime heating.

  2. Question 2

    A squall line often forms:

    • ABehind a warm front
    • BAhead of a cold front
    • COver polar ice
    • DWithin a large high pressure area
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: B) Ahead of a cold front

    • AIncorrect. It forms ahead of a cold front.
    • BCorrect. A non-frontal line of storms.
    • CIncorrect. It forms ahead of a cold front.
    • DIncorrect. It forms ahead of a cold front.

  3. Question 3

    Structural icing requires freezing temperatures and:

    • AVisible moisture
    • BStrong surface winds
    • CClear, dry air
    • DA temperature inversion
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) Visible moisture

    • ACorrect. Such as clouds or precipitation.
    • BIncorrect. It needs visible moisture.
    • CIncorrect. It needs visible moisture.
    • DIncorrect. It needs visible moisture.

  4. Question 4

    In climate terms, what is a monsoon?

    • AA seasonal reversal of prevailing winds
    • BA single thunderstorm
    • CA type of fog
    • DA mountain wind that blows downslope each night
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) A seasonal reversal of prevailing winds

    • ACorrect. It brings wet and dry seasons.
    • BIncorrect. It's a seasonal pattern.
    • CIncorrect. It's a seasonal pattern.
    • DIncorrect. It's a seasonal pattern.

  5. Question 5

    Strong winds blowing roughly perpendicular to a mountain ridge are forecast along a planned route. Which hazard should the dispatcher expect to be most significant?

    • AStrong downdrafts and rotor turbulence on the lee (downwind) side of the ridge
    • BSmooth, laminar air below ridge level on the lee side, with turbulence confined to the windward slope
    • CUpslope fog on the windward side as the main concern, with little vertical motion downwind
    • DA shallow surface inversion downwind that holds the air calm below the peaks
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) Strong downdrafts and rotor turbulence on the lee (downwind) side of the ridge

    Strong winds across a ridge can produce mountain waves. The main hazards are strong lee-side downdrafts and rotor turbulence near or below ridge level on the downwind side.

    • ACorrect. Strong flow across a ridge can set up mountain waves. These bring strong downdrafts on the lee side, and rotor zones near or below ridge level can contain severe-to-extreme turbulence and wind shear.
    • BIncorrect. This has it backwards. The worst turbulence, including rotors, usually develops on the downwind (lee) side, often near or below ridge level.
    • CIncorrect. Upslope fog can form when moist, stable air rises up a slope, but strong cross-ridge winds mainly cause wave action and strong vertical currents downwind.
    • DIncorrect. A stable layer above the ridge can actually help mountain waves form. Strong winds over the terrain bring turbulent up- and downdrafts on the lee side, not calm air.

  6. Question 6

    What does it mean when the environmental lapse rate exceeds the dry adiabatic rate?

    • AThe air is absolutely unstable
    • BThe air is absolutely stable
    • CThe air is conditionally stable
    • DFog is certain to form
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) The air is absolutely unstable

    • ACorrect. Rising parcels keep accelerating.
    • BIncorrect. Stable air has smaller lapse rates.
    • CIncorrect. The air is unstable.
    • DIncorrect. Lapse rate shows stability.

  7. Question 7

    A thunderstorm's mature stage is marked by:

    • AUpdrafts and downdrafts
    • BOnly steady updrafts
    • COnly gentle downdrafts
    • DNo precipitation at all
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) Updrafts and downdrafts

    • ACorrect. Precipitation begins reaching the ground.
    • BIncorrect. That's the cumulus stage.
    • CIncorrect. That's dissipating.
    • DIncorrect. Precipitation falls.

  8. Question 8

    On a winter night, a steady 10-knot southerly wind carries warm, moist Gulf of Mexico air inland over the colder land of the southeastern United States. Which type of fog is most likely to develop?

    • AAdvection fog
    • BRadiation fog
    • CUpslope fog
    • DSteam fog
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) Advection fog

    Warm, moist air moving horizontally over a colder surface produces advection fog. Unlike radiation fog, it can form and persist with moderate winds.

    • ACorrect. Advection fog forms when warm, moist air moves horizontally over a colder surface and cools to its dew point. It can form and persist with moderate winds, and the FAA notes it is common in the southeastern U.S. in winter.
    • BIncorrect. Radiation fog forms when the ground cools by radiation on clear nights with calm or very light wind. A steady 10-knot wind carrying moist air from elsewhere points to advection.
    • CIncorrect. Upslope fog forms when moist air is pushed up rising terrain and cools adiabatically. The scenario describes horizontal movement over a colder surface, not lifting over terrain.
    • DIncorrect. Steam fog forms when cold air moves over much warmer water. Here it is the reverse: warm, moist air moves over a colder land surface.

  9. Question 9

    A dispatcher is estimating the outside air temperature at 10,000 feet for a flight-planning check, using the standard atmosphere with 15°C at sea level. Using the standard temperature lapse rate, what temperature should be expected at 10,000 feet?

    • AAbout -15°C
    • BAbout -5°C
    • CAbout 0°C
    • DAbout -20°C
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: B) About -5°C

    In the standard atmosphere, temperature drops about 2°C (3.5°F) per 1,000 ft. Starting from 15°C at sea level, that gives about -5°C at 10,000 ft.

    • AIncorrect. This uses about 3°C per 1,000 ft, which is the dry adiabatic rate for rising unsaturated air. It is not the standard atmosphere lapse rate.
    • BCorrect. The standard lapse rate is about 2°C (3.5°F) per 1,000 ft. Over 10,000 ft that is a drop of about 20°C, so 15°C - 20°C = about -5°C.
    • CIncorrect. This assumes a lapse rate of about 1.5°C per 1,000 ft, which is less than the standard 2°C per 1,000 ft.
    • DIncorrect. -20°C is the total temperature drop over 10,000 ft (2°C x 10), not the resulting temperature. That drop must be subtracted from the 15°C sea-level value.

  10. Question 10

    On approach into a microburst, a crew first encounters:

    • AA headwind increase
    • BA sudden, strong tailwind gust
    • CCalm winds
    • DA strong updraft
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) A headwind increase

    • ACorrect. Then a downdraft and tailwind.
    • BIncorrect. The tailwind comes later.
    • CIncorrect. A headwind comes first.
    • DIncorrect. A headwind comes first.

Meteorology and Weather Hazards: FAQs

How much of the ADX exam is Meteorology and Weather Hazards?

Meteorology and Weather Hazards is 15% of the ADX exam by the official exam guide's weighting, which on a 80-question form works out to roughly 12 questions. The real exam's exact split varies by form.

What does the Meteorology and Weather Hazards domain cover?

Basic weather theory and the hazards that follow from it: the atmosphere, pressure, wind, moisture, stability, air masses and fronts, plus icing, turbulence, thunderstorms and wind shear.

How should I study Meteorology and Weather Hazards for ADX?

For each front and air mass, write down the cloud, visibility, turbulence and icing you would expect; hazard questions usually start from that picture.

Where can I practise more Meteorology and Weather Hazards questions?

This page has 10 free Meteorology and Weather Hazards questions with answers. The ExamWize ADX question bank has 89 questions in this domain. Every practice exam result breaks your score down by domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

Other ADX topics

Also: 15 free questions across all topics, the ADX cheat sheet and the study guide.

Get Meteorology and Weather Hazards exam-ready

The full ADX bank has 89 Meteorology and Weather Hazards questions. Timed practice exams match the real exam's length and domain weights, every result shows your score per domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

See the full ADX practice examsTake the free diagnostic

Not affiliated with FAA; questions are original, written from the official exam outline, and never copied from the real exam.