Weather Forecasts

Biblical Reference

I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.

Psalm 55:8

• Measuring the Conditions is the first step to making a weather forecast.

• Instruments:– Temperature – Thermometer– Air Pressure – Barometer– Relative Humidity – Psychrometer– Wind Speed – Anemometer

Measuring the Weather

• Surface Report: Describes a set of weather measurements made on the Earth’s surface.– Temperature, Air Pressure, Humidity,

Precipitation, Wind Speed & Direction, Cloud Cover and Visibility

• Upper-Air Report: Describes a set of weather measurements above the Earth’s surface.– Wind, Temperature and Humidity– Weather Balloons with Radiosonde make reports

twice a day in hundreds of locations.

Surface and Upper-Air Reports

• Satellite images are used for seeing cloud patterns and movements– Example: Tracking a Hurricane

• Radar images can be used to detect cloud cover, rainfall or storm location, intensity, and movement, as well as the potential for severe weather– Doppler Radar: A specialized type of radar

that can detect precipitation and the movement of small particles to determine wind speed.

Satellite and Radar Images

Satellite and Radar Images

Satellite ImageRadar Image

Doppler Radar Image

• Weather maps use symbols and images to describe the weather over a certain location.

• There are six basic types of Weather Maps:– Satellite– Radar– Precipitation– Temperature– Wind speed – Front

Weather Maps

Station models from specific locations provide information that can be used to predict weather patterns.

Information found on a station model can include:

Station Models

Station Models• A station model uses observations from

surface reports and upper-air reports

• Isobars are lines that connect all places on a map where pressure has the same value.– Isobars show high and low pressure areas– Winds are stronger when isobars are close

together– Isobar comes from the Greek, isos, which

means “equal”; and baros, which means “heavy”

• Isotherms are lines that connect places with the same temperature.

Mapping Temperature & Pressure

Precipitation Maps

Temperature Maps

Wind Speed Maps

Front Maps

A Week of Weather...

A Week of Weather...

A Week of Weather...

A Week of Weather...

A Week of Weather...

A Week of Weather...

A Week of Weather...

• Computer Models, which solve complex math formulas, are used to predict:– Temperatures– Wind Speeds– When & Where it will Rain– Types of Clouds

• Meteorologists use the Internet to share information

Predicting the Weather

Harry Reigns

What about Weather Folklore?

• Onionskin is very thin, mild winter is coming in. Onionskin is thick and tough winter will be cold and rough.

• Rain before seven, quit by eleven.

• Clear moon, frost soon.

Weather Folklore

A. upper air report

B. satellite

C. Doppler radar

D. isobar

Which of these is a specialized type of radar that can detect precipitation as well as the movement of small particles?

Pop Quiz

A. computer models

B. radar

C. satellite images

D. isobars

Lines that connect all places on a map where pressure has the same value are called what?

Pop Quiz

A. a radiosonde

B. satellites

C. Doppler radar

D. isobars

Which of these refers to a package of weather instruments that measure atmospheric conditions?

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