| 1. Which is NOT a fact about winter in the animal | | | | Without Summer?" Are all these facts true, or is |
| kingdom? | | | | one false? |
| A. Some species of domesticated dog turn white | | | | A. During June and July Connecticut experienced a |
| in the winter. | | | | rare summer blizzard and snow and sleet fell in |
| B. Mountain goats with their luxurious 3-inch long | | | | Danville, Vermont. |
| winter coats can endure winter temperatures as | | | | B. While unseasonably frigid summer temperatures |
| low as minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit and powerful | | | | brought crop failures all over New England, |
| winds up to 100 mph. | | | | Massachusetts had snow flurries. |
| C. The male moose sheds its antlers every winter | | | | C. Savannah, Georgia, had a high temperature of |
| and grows a new set the following year. | | | | only 46 degrees Fahrenheit on July 4. |
| D. The weasel and the ermine are the same | | | | D. The eruption of the Tambora volcano in Java |
| animal. The only difference is the brown coat of | | | | the previous year spewed dust and ash into the |
| the weasel turns white in the winter when it is | | | | atmosphere and caused the unusually cold |
| known as an ermine. | | | | summer of 1816. |
| A. Some species of domesticated dogs turn white | | | | All true. |
| in the winter. | | | | FTO: Pretty weird, huh? |
| FTO: At least as far as The QuizQueen knows | | | | 9. Which United States city has the coldest winter |
| this isn't true. | | | | temperature on average? |
| 2. Which flying creature fact is true? | | | | A. Mt. Washington, New Hampshire |
| A. The Rufous, a species of Hummingbird, nests in | | | | B. Kotzebue, Alaska |
| Alaska and migrates miles to Mexico each winter | | | | C. Helena, Montana |
| and then back to Alaska in the spring. | | | | D. Barrow, Alaska |
| B. Many species of butterfly fly south for the | | | | D. Barrow, Alaska |
| winter just like many birds. | | | | FTO: Although none of these places are too |
| C. None | | | | balmy in the winter! Just imagine an average |
| D. Both | | | | temperature of 4.1 degrees Fahrenheit. |
| D. Both | | | | 10. On average, one inch of rain is equivalent to |
| FTO: I wouldn't have expected to find | | | | how many inches of snow? |
| Hummingbirds in Alaska either! | | | | A. 1 |
| 3. Ice fog is a winter weather phenomenon. Which | | | | B. 5 |
| fact is NOT related to this event? | | | | C. 10 |
| A. It frequently occurs in Alaska. | | | | D. 12 |
| B. It frequently occurs in Maine. | | | | C. 10 |
| C. It glitters in sunlight and is colorfully known as | | | | FTO: Results can vary, but that's the average, |
| diamond dust. | | | | according to The QuizQueen's weather sources. |
| D. It contains minute ice particles. | | | | 11. How much do you know about snow? Which |
| B. It frequently occurs in Maine. | | | | snow fact is true? |
| FTO: OK, maybe some Maine resident can prove | | | | A. It must be 32 degrees Fahrenheit or colder for |
| me wrong, but it wasn't listed among MY facts. | | | | it to snow. |
| 4. Did you know that human hair grows at | | | | B. It must be 0 degrees Fahrenheit or colder for |
| different rates for different times of day and | | | | it to snow. |
| year? For example, it speeds up in the morning, | | | | C. It cannot snow from clear skies. |
| slows down in the afternoon, and speeds up again | | | | D. The temperature of snow clouds must be 32 |
| in the evening. What is the rate of growth in the | | | | degrees Fahrenheit or colder for snow to form. |
| winter? | | | | D. The temperature of snow clouds must be 32 |
| A. Slower than summer. | | | | degrees Fahrenheit or colder for snow to form. |
| B. Faster than summer. | | | | FTO: It can be warmer on the ground and you |
| C. The same as in summer. | | | | don't even need clouds to snow. Doesn't seem |
| D. The same all year round because the | | | | fair, really. |
| QuizQueen is making this up. | | | | 12. Test your snowflake knowledge and pick out |
| A. Slower than summer. | | | | the incorrect answer. |
| FTO: Gee, did you really think The QuizQueen | | | | A. Snowflakes comes in several basic shapes, |
| would make up such a silly question? | | | | hexagonal plates, stellar crystals, columns, needles, |
| 5. During the winter, winds seem to bite through | | | | and graupel. |
| you with cold. Can you pick out the true windy | | | | B. No two snowflakes are exactly alike. |
| phenomenon? | | | | C. Snowfall levels are categorized into flurries, |
| A. The Bora is a violent cold north wind in the | | | | showers, squalls, blowing snow, and blizzards. |
| Adriatic. | | | | D. It can be too cold to snow. |
| B. The Mistral is a strong cold dry north wind that | | | | D. It can be too cold to snow. |
| blows during the winter in Rhone Valley, France. | | | | FTO: It can never be too cold to snow although it |
| C. The Puna is a cold dry wind that blows in Peru. | | | | usually doesn't snow very heavily when |
| D. The Williwaw is a sudden strong cold wind | | | | temperatures fall really low. |
| off-shore from mountains in Alaska and Canada. | | | | 13. How advised are you about winter weather |
| Trick question, they are all winds! | | | | advisories? Is one of these false? |
| FTO: They were such fun names I couldn't | | | | A. A blizzard warning means snow and strong |
| choose and so went with them all. | | | | winds will combine to produce blinding snow with |
| 6. Can you pick out the FALSE nor'easter fact? | | | | near zero visibility, deep drifts, and life-threatening |
| A. This is the coastal warm front storm which | | | | wind chill. |
| typically strikes New England in February when | | | | B. The difference between a winter storm watch |
| warm moist air picked up from the tropics moves | | | | and a winter storm warning is that severe winter |
| north up the coast and meets a mass of polar air | | | | conditions have begun when a winter storm |
| from Eastern Canada and the North Atlantic which | | | | warning is issued. |
| is moving south. | | | | C. A winter weather advisory is when weather |
| B. A nor'easter is created when a mass of warm | | | | causes severe conditions that are inconvenient |
| air hits a mass of cold air somewhere in the | | | | and may be hazardous, especially for motorists. |
| vicinity of Cape Cod. | | | | D. A frost-freeze warning means that |
| C. The winds of a nor'easter blow so strong and | | | | temperatures are expected to fall below zero |
| fierce that even when snow falls it does not | | | | degrees Fahrenheit and may cause significant |
| accumulate. | | | | damage to plants, crops, or fruit trees. |
| D. When warm air moves up and over a layer of | | | | D. A frost-freeze warning means that |
| cold air, a nor'easter is created and snow crystals | | | | temperatures are expected to fall below zero |
| form and fall. If the storm moves quickly, cold | | | | degrees Fahrenheit and may cause significant |
| rain or snow will fall for six to eight hours. If the | | | | damage to plants, crops, or fruit trees. |
| warm air stalls against a high pressure wall, the | | | | FTO: Well, yeah, but they don't usually issue |
| snowfall may last 12-24 hours or even longer. | | | | warnings about that do they, they only bother |
| C. The winds of a nor'easter blow so strong and | | | | when it is nearing 32 degrees Fahrenheit, right? |
| fierce that even when snow falls it does not | | | | 14. The National Weather Service defines "heavy |
| accumulate. | | | | snow" as: |
| FTO: I imagine there are plenty of people who | | | | A. Snowfall that accumulates 6 or more inches in |
| WISH this were true. | | | | 12 hours or 8 or more inches in 24 hours. |
| 7. In 1888, the United States experienced one of | | | | B. Wet snow. |
| the worst recorded blizzards. Which Blizzard of '88 | | | | C. Thundersnow. |
| fact was made up by The QuizQueen? | | | | D. None of these answers is right, The QuizQueen |
| A. On March 11, 1888, a nor'easter stalled over | | | | must not know. |
| New York City and dumped 21 inches of snow | | | | A. Snowfall that accumulates 6 or more inches in |
| with 70 mph gusts piling snow into 20-foot drifts | | | | 12 hours or 8 or more inches in 24 hours. |
| which marooned New Yorkers in elevated trains, | | | | FTO: Don't you just love the term thundersnow? |
| carriages, and office buildings. | | | | The QuizQueen will send some your way if you |
| B. The Blizzard of 1888 was completely invented | | | | guessed "D." |
| by The QuizQueen and in fact no snow fell that | | | | 15. Which U.S. city has the highest average |
| winter in northeast America except in trace | | | | snowfall? |
| amounts. | | | | A. Stampede Pass, Washington |
| C. The 1888 blizzard extended from Maine to | | | | B. Valdez, Alaska |
| Washington, D.C., and from New York to | | | | C. Mt. Washington, New Hampshire |
| Pittsburgh. The storm stalled for a day and a half. | | | | D. Watertown, New York |
| In Connecticut and central Massachusetts, | | | | A. Stampede Pass, Washington |
| between 40 and 50 inches of snow fell. Winds | | | | FTO: 440.3 inches! Yipes, even for someone who |
| piled it into 40 to 50 foot drifts which buried | | | | grew up in the snow belt that is depressing to |
| houses and trains. | | | | think about. |
| D. From Chesapeake Bay to Nantucket, 200 ships | | | | 16. Which U.S. city has the coldest record |
| were sunk or severely damaged. In 1888, 400 | | | | temperature? |
| lives were lost, a tragedy that modern weather | | | | A. Mt. Washington, New Hampshire |
| forecasting has spared us. | | | | B. Glasgow, Montana |
| B. The Blizzard of 1888 was completely invented | | | | C. Nome, Alaska |
| by The QuizQueen and in fact no snow fell that | | | | D. McGrath, Alaska |
| winter in northeast America except in trace | | | | D. McGrath, Alaska |
| amounts. | | | | FTO: -75, can you even imagine? Mt. Washington |
| FTO: This was pretty serious stuff. | | | | is the warmest with its record low of only |
| 8. Do you know why 1816 was called "The Year | | | | —47 degrees Fahrenheit. |