Explain why noreasters would commonly go undetected before the ...

[P68T]

Explain why noreasters would commonly go undetected before the age of modern satellite imagery.
  What will be the ideal response?

Question 2

List the mechanisms that provide energy for a cyclone.
  What will be the ideal response?

[jennafosdick]

Answer to Question 1

ANSWER: Noreasters occur in or near Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, where warm Gulf Stream water can supply moisture and warmth to the region south of a stationary front, thus increasing the contrast between air masses to a point where storms may suddenly spring up along the front. Noreasters normally move northeastward along the Atlantic Coast, bringing high winds and heavy snow or rain to coastal areas. Before the age of modern satellite imagery and weather prediction, such coastal storms would often go undetected during their formative stages, and sometimes an evening weather forecast of fair and colder along the eastern seaboard would have to be changed to heavy snowfall by morning. Fortunately, with todays weather information-gathering and forecasting techniques, these storms rarely strike by surprise.

Answer to Question 2

ANSWER: Energy for the storm is derived from several sources. As the air masses try to attain equilibrium, warm air rises and cold air sinks, transforming potential energy into kinetic energy energy of motion. Condensation supplies energy to the system in the form of latent heat. And, as the surface air converges toward the lows center, wind speeds may increase, producing an increase in kinetic energy.