Question

Portland, Oregon, located just behind the front, had a temperature of 59 °F and dewpoint of 52 °F at map time. Although this surface air was not saturated, the present weather symbol in the station model was two dots signifying ________ was occurring.

A. Rain
B. Snow
C. Fog
D. Drizzle

Answer 1

The two dots in the weather station model for Portland, Oregon indicate that drizzle is occurring, which aligns with the reported temperature and dew point indicating high relative humidity.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Portland, Oregon, a temperature of 59 °F and a dew point of 52 °F indicates that the air is relatively moist but not fully saturated. The presence of two dots in the station model weather symbol signifies that drizzle is occurring.

Drizzle consists of fine water droplets that are smaller than those in rain and typically occurs when there's not enough moisture or uplift to create larger raindrops. Considering that the temperature is relatively close to the dew point, it suggests that the air has a high relative humidity and thus it is conducive to the formation of fine precipitation like drizzle.