Predicting the Weather

Weather Forecasting

• You have to collect data, whether it is

either simple direct observations or

through interpreting complex data

Making Simple Observations

• Read weather signs from clouds in the

sky.

• Refer back to notes about different types

of clouds we discussed in section 8.1

Meteorologists are people who

study the causes of weather and

try to predict it.

Interpreting Complex Data

• Meteorologists use tools such as charts,

computers, and maps to analyze data.

Interpreting Complex Data

• National weather service uses balloons,

satellites, radar, and surface instruments

to gather weather data.

Reading a Weather Map

• National Weather Service takes data from

local weather stations and puts together a

map of the weather for the U.S.

Reading a Weather Map

• Isobars and Isotherms are used to

represent temperature or air pressure.

• Isobars are lines joining places on map

that have the same air pressure.

• Isotherms are lines joining places that

have the same temperature.

Isotherm and Isobar map

Reading a Weather Map

• Newspaper weather maps are simplified

versions of maps produced by National

Weather Service.

Reading a Weather Map

• Standard symbols include:

• Areas of high and low pressure

• Types of precipitation

• Temperatures

• Fronts

Reading a Weather Map

Reading a Weather Map

Reading a Weather Map

• “Butterfly effect” causes scientists not to

make accurate long range weather

forecasts.

• Small changes today can mean larger

changes in weather a week later.

Summary

• Meteorologists use both simple

observations and complex data to predict

weather.

• National weather maps are more detailed

than local and newspaper maps.

• Learning symbols of weather maps helps

to interpret what the weather is doing

today.