What Is Continental Tropical?
Hot, very dry air that forms over deserts, such as the American Southwest and northern Mexico. In technical terms: An air mass (cT) originating over subtropical deserts, with high temperatures, low relative humidity, and a deep, steep-lapse-rate mixed layer; when advected over moist air it forms the elevated mixed layer that caps many severe weather environments.
Also called: cT
Continental Tropical In Plain English
Hot, very dry air that forms over deserts, such as the American Southwest and northern Mexico.
The Technical Definition
An air mass (cT) originating over subtropical deserts, with high temperatures, low relative humidity, and a deep, steep-lapse-rate mixed layer; when advected over moist air it forms the elevated mixed layer that caps many severe weather environments.
Lessons That Use Continental Tropical
- Air Masses And Where They Come From Unit 4: Air Masses And Fronts
