Weather trivia

8 weather trivia questions, from easy to hard. Tap a question to see the answer. They're real questions from Rubicon, where you type the answer yourself and an AI judge reads what you meant.

This set covers Clouds, Precipitation & Sky Optics, Storms & Extreme Weather, Weather Instruments and Wind & Air Circulation.

Questions and answers

  1. Easy What forecast does a red sunset bring in the famous weather rhyme?

    It indicates clear skies and pleasant weather arriving from the west for the coming day.

  2. Easy Why is the coastal water near San Francisco so cold?

    Winds push surface water away, allowing deep, icy ocean water to rise to the surface.

  3. Easy What feature of a hurricane determines its category on the Saffir-Simpson scale?

    The Saffir-Simpson scale ranks a hurricane based on its sustained wind speed.

  4. Medium Which weather instrument is specifically designed to measure wind speed rather than air pressure or humidity?

    An anemometer measures wind speed, often using spinning cups or small propellers to track airflow.

  5. Medium Why do the Santa Ana winds become exceptionally hot and dry as they sweep toward coastal California?

    Descending inland air compresses under higher atmospheric pressure at lower altitudes, which naturally heats and dries it.

  6. Medium Why did mercury remain suspended inside Torricelli's inverted glass tube rather than completely draining into the dish?

    Surrounding atmospheric pressure pushing down on the exposed liquid in the dish held the mercury column up inside the tube.

  7. Hard Despite being created by much smaller mist droplets, around how many degrees is the angular radius of a fogbow?

    A fogbow has an angular radius of approximately 42 degrees, virtually the same circular size as a standard primary rainbow.

  8. Hard How does an impact disdrometer distinguish tiny drizzle droplets from hard hail pelting its surface?

    It registers mechanical vibrations on a sensor plate, translating higher momentum into stronger electrical pulses.

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