| 1. Which is NOT a fact about winter in the animal | | | | false? |
| kingdom? | | | | A. During June and July Connecticut experienced a |
| A. Some species of domesticated dog turn white in | | | | rare summer blizzard and snow and sleet fell in |
| the winter. | | | | Danville, Vermont. |
| B. Mountain goats with their luxurious 3-inch long winter | | | | B. While unseasonably frigid summer temperatures |
| coats can endure winter temperatures as low as | | | | brought crop failures all over New England, |
| minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit and powerful winds up | | | | Massachusetts had snow flurries. |
| to 100 mph. | | | | C. Savannah, Georgia, had a high temperature of only |
| C. The male moose sheds its antlers every winter and | | | | 46 degrees Fahrenheit on July 4. |
| grows a new set the following year. | | | | D. The eruption of the Tambora volcano in Java the |
| D. The weasel and the ermine are the same animal. | | | | previous year spewed dust and ash into the |
| The only difference is the brown coat of the weasel | | | | atmosphere and caused the unusually cold summer of |
| turns white in the winter when it is known as an | | | | 1816. |
| ermine. | | | | All true. |
| A. Some species of domesticated dogs turn white in | | | | FTO: Pretty weird, huh? |
| the winter. | | | | 9. Which United States city has the coldest winter |
| FTO: At least as far as The QuizQueen knows this | | | | temperature on average? |
| isn't true. | | | | A. Mt. Washington, New Hampshire |
| 2. Which flying creature fact is true? | | | | B. Kotzebue, Alaska |
| A. The Rufous, a species of Hummingbird, nests in | | | | C. Helena, Montana |
| Alaska and migrates miles to Mexico each winter and | | | | D. Barrow, Alaska |
| then back to Alaska in the spring. | | | | D. Barrow, Alaska |
| B. Many species of butterfly fly south for the winter | | | | FTO: Although none of these places are too balmy in |
| just like many birds. | | | | the winter! Just imagine an average temperature of 4.1 |
| C. None | | | | degrees Fahrenheit. |
| D. Both | | | | 10. On average, one inch of rain is equivalent to how |
| D. Both | | | | many inches of snow? |
| FTO: I wouldn't have expected to find Hummingbirds in | | | | A. 1 |
| Alaska either! | | | | B. 5 |
| 3. Ice fog is a winter weather phenomenon. Which fact | | | | C. 10 |
| is NOT related to this event? | | | | D. 12 |
| A. It frequently occurs in Alaska. | | | | C. 10 |
| B. It frequently occurs in Maine. | | | | FTO: Results can vary, but that's the average, |
| C. It glitters in sunlight and is colorfully known as | | | | according to The QuizQueen's weather sources. |
| diamond dust. | | | | 11. How much do you know about snow? Which snow |
| D. It contains minute ice particles. | | | | fact is true? |
| B. It frequently occurs in Maine. | | | | A. It must be 32 degrees Fahrenheit or colder for it to |
| FTO: OK, maybe some Maine resident can prove me | | | | snow. |
| wrong, but it wasn't listed among MY facts. | | | | B. It must be 0 degrees Fahrenheit or colder for it to |
| 4. Did you know that human hair grows at different | | | | snow. |
| rates for different times of day and year? For | | | | C. It cannot snow from clear skies. |
| example, it speeds up in the morning, slows down in | | | | D. The temperature of snow clouds must be 32 |
| the afternoon, and speeds up again in the evening. | | | | degrees Fahrenheit or colder for snow to form. |
| What is the rate of growth in the 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 don't |
| C. The same as in summer. | | | | even need clouds to snow. Doesn't seem fair, really. |
| D. The same all year round because the QuizQueen is | | | | 12. Test your snowflake knowledge and pick out the |
| making this up. | | | | incorrect answer. |
| A. Slower than summer. | | | | A. Snowflakes comes in several basic shapes, |
| FTO: Gee, did you really think The QuizQueen would | | | | hexagonal plates, stellar crystals, columns, needles, and |
| make up such a silly question? | | | | graupel. |
| 5. During the winter, winds seem to bite through you | | | | B. No two snowflakes are exactly alike. |
| with cold. Can you pick out the true windy | | | | C. Snowfall levels are categorized into flurries, |
| phenomenon? | | | | showers, squalls, blowing snow, and blizzards. |
| A. The Bora is a violent cold north wind in the 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 temperatures |
| D. The Williwaw is a sudden strong cold wind | | | | 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 choose | | | | A. A blizzard warning means snow and strong winds |
| and so went with them all. | | | | will combine to produce blinding snow with near zero |
| 6. Can you pick out the FALSE nor'easter fact? | | | | visibility, deep drifts, and life-threatening wind chill. |
| A. This is the coastal warm front storm which typically | | | | B. The difference between a winter storm watch and |
| strikes New England in February when warm moist air | | | | a winter storm warning is that severe winter conditions |
| picked up from the tropics moves north up the coast | | | | have begun when a winter storm warning is issued. |
| and meets a mass of polar air from Eastern Canada | | | | C. A winter weather advisory is when weather |
| and the North Atlantic which is moving south. | | | | causes severe conditions that are inconvenient and |
| B. A nor'easter is created when a mass of warm air | | | | may be hazardous, especially for motorists. |
| hits a mass of cold air somewhere in the vicinity of | | | | D. A frost-freeze warning means that temperatures |
| Cape Cod. | | | | are expected to fall below zero degrees Fahrenheit |
| C. The winds of a nor'easter blow so strong and | | | | and may cause significant damage to plants, crops, or |
| fierce that even when snow falls it does not | | | | fruit trees. |
| accumulate. | | | | D. A frost-freeze warning means that temperatures |
| D. When warm air moves up and over a layer of cold | | | | are expected to fall below zero degrees Fahrenheit |
| air, a nor'easter is created and snow crystals form and | | | | and may cause significant damage to plants, crops, or |
| fall. If the storm moves quickly, cold rain or snow will fall | | | | fruit trees. |
| for six to eight hours. If the warm air stalls against a | | | | FTO: Well, yeah, but they don't usually issue warnings |
| high pressure wall, the snowfall may last 12-24 hours | | | | about that do they, they only bother when it is nearing |
| or even longer. | | | | 32 degrees Fahrenheit, right? |
| C. The winds of a nor'easter blow so strong and | | | | 14. The National Weather Service defines "heavy |
| fierce that even when snow falls it does not | | | | snow" as: |
| accumulate. | | | | A. Snowfall that accumulates 6 or more inches in 12 |
| FTO: I imagine there are plenty of people who WISH | | | | hours or 8 or more inches in 24 hours. |
| this were true. | | | | B. Wet snow. |
| 7. In 1888, the United States experienced one of the | | | | C. Thundersnow. |
| worst recorded blizzards. Which Blizzard of '88 fact | | | | D. None of these answers is right, The QuizQueen |
| was made up by The QuizQueen? | | | | must not know. |
| A. On March 11, 1888, a nor'easter stalled over New | | | | A. Snowfall that accumulates 6 or more inches in 12 |
| York City and dumped 21 inches of snow with 70 mph | | | | hours or 8 or more inches in 24 hours. |
| gusts piling snow into 20-foot drifts which marooned | | | | FTO: Don't you just love the term thundersnow? The |
| New Yorkers in elevated trains, carriages, and office | | | | QuizQueen will send some your way if you guessed |
| buildings. | | | | "D." |
| B. The Blizzard of 1888 was completely invented by | | | | 15. Which U.S. city has the highest average snowfall? |
| The QuizQueen and in fact no snow fell that winter in | | | | A. Stampede Pass, Washington |
| northeast America except in trace amounts. | | | | B. Valdez, Alaska |
| C. The 1888 blizzard extended from Maine to | | | | C. Mt. Washington, New Hampshire |
| Washington, D.C., and from New York to Pittsburgh. | | | | D. Watertown, New York |
| The storm stalled for a day and a half. In Connecticut | | | | A. Stampede Pass, Washington |
| and central Massachusetts, between 40 and 50 inches | | | | FTO: 440.3 inches! Yipes, even for someone who |
| of snow fell. Winds piled it into 40 to 50 foot drifts | | | | grew up in the snow belt that is depressing to think |
| which buried houses and trains. | | | | 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 lives | | | | temperature? |
| were lost, a tragedy that modern weather forecasting | | | | A. Mt. Washington, New Hampshire |
| has spared us. | | | | B. Glasgow, Montana |
| B. The Blizzard of 1888 was completely invented by | | | | C. Nome, Alaska |
| The QuizQueen and in fact no snow fell that winter in | | | | D. McGrath, Alaska |
| northeast America except in trace amounts. | | | | D. McGrath, Alaska |
| FTO: This was pretty serious stuff. | | | | FTO: -75, can you even imagine? Mt. Washington is |
| 8. Do you know why 1816 was called "The Year | | | | the warmest with its record low of only -47 degrees |
| Without Summer?" Are all these facts true, or is one | | | | Fahrenheit. |