Forecasting Weather
Weather forecasting is a prediction of what the weather will be like in an hour, tomorrow, or next week. Meteorologists use special, high-tech equipment to help them make their forecasts. But you can make forecasts by watching the clouds or feeling the blowing wind!
Meteorologists are scientists who study the Earth's atmosphere.
Air masses are masses of air that have the same characteristics of the surface over which it develops
Pressure Systems -
descending (going down) = H pressure (usually means there will be cool and dry air)
ascending (going up) = L pressure (usually means rainy or cloudy weather)
Fronts: the boundary between 2 air masses
Meteorologists are scientists who study the Earth's atmosphere.
Air masses are masses of air that have the same characteristics of the surface over which it develops
Pressure Systems -
descending (going down) = H pressure (usually means there will be cool and dry air)
ascending (going up) = L pressure (usually means rainy or cloudy weather)
Fronts: the boundary between 2 air masses
- Warm Front: warm air slides over departing cold air- large bands of precipitation form
- Cold Front: Cold air pushes under a warm air mass. Warm air rises quickly = narrow bands of violent storms form
- Occluded Front: Two air masses merge and force warm air between them to rise quickly. Strong winds and heavy precipitation will occur.
- Stationary Front: Warm or cold front stops moving. Light wind and precipitation may occur across the front boundary.
Reading a weather map
- ISOBAR: connects areas of equal pressure BAR comes from BARometric pressure
- Isotherm: Connects areas of equal temperature; therm means temperature
Weather Map
Surface temperature contour map
Visible satellite image
Enhanced IR (infrared) image