How does a weather map work?
Surface weather maps show how the atmospheric pressure, or barometric pressure, varies This is important because masses of air with relatively low or high pressure move across the Earth’s surface, changing the weather as they pass Pressure readings are printed at each station on detailed maps
How do you read weather data?
These common weather station symbols represent the current weather conditions A dot is used for rain and an asterisk for snow, with the number of dots or asterisks indicting to what extent it is happening For example, 2 dots is light rain, 3 dots is moderate rain, and 4 dots means there is heavy rainfall
What do the lines on a weather map mean?
NOAA Weather Prediction Center On some weather maps, you may notice lines surrounding and encircling the “highs” and “lows” These lines are called isobars because they connect areas where the air pressure is the same (“iso-” meaning equal and “-bar” meaning pressure)
What are the main symbols on a weather map?
These often include temperature, dew point (a measure of humidity), wind speed, wind direction, present weather, barometric pressure and pressure tendency (is it rising or falling?), cloud cover, and many others
How do you identify the fronts on a weather map?
To locate a front on a surface map, look for the following: sharp temperature changes over relatively short distances, changes in the moisture content of the air (dew point), shifts in wind direction, low pressure troughs and pressure changes, and clouds and precipitation patterns
What do the red and blue lines mean on a weather map?
On a weather map, a warm front is usually drawn using a solid red line with half circles pointing in the direction of the cold air that will be replaced On a weather map, a cold front is usually drawn using a solid blue line with triangles pointing in the direction of the warm air that will be replaced
How do you read wind on a weather map?
The dot end of the staff is where the wind is blowing to, while the top of the staff shows the direction from which the wind is coming The top row of wind barbs in the figure to the right all indicate a north wind The dot is to the south and the top of the wind barb staff is to the north
How do you read weather highs and lows?
The forecast high is the highest temperature expected to occur that day, which in most cases is in the afternoon The forecast low is the lowest temperature expected to occur during the next overnight period and on the vast majority of days will occur around daybreak the following morning
How do you read fronts?
Cold fronts are depicted by blue line with triangles pointing in the direction of motion Cold fronts demarcate the leading edge of a cold air mass displacing a warmer air mass Phrases like “ahead of the front” and “behind of the front” refer to its motion
What are the brown dashed lines on a weather map?
A trough of low pressure that contains significant weather phenomena (such as precipitation and distinct wind shifts) may be identified on the map by a thick brown dashed line running along the axis of the trough On some maps this trough line may have the abbreviation, “TROF”
What are the color codes for weather?
Is there a list of all the warnings and watches and the color codes? Hazard / Weather Event Click on the Hazard/Weather Event For Definitions Priority Color Name Tornado Warning 2 Red Extreme Wind Warning 3 Darkorange Severe Thunderstorm Warning 4 Orange Flash Flood Warning 5 Darkred
How do you understand weather?
How to “Speak” Weather Forecasting Air Temperatures When someone asks what the weather is like outside, air temperature is often the first condition we describe Probability of Precipitation (Chance of Rain) Sky Conditions (Cloudiness) Winds Pressure Dewpoint Humidity
What type of weather information do station plots show?
The station weather plot shows the current weather conditions, cloud cover, wind speed, wind direction, visibility, temperature, dew point temperature, atmospheric pressure, and the change in pressure over the last three hours
What does l mean on Hurricane map?
L: Low pressure system – associated with rising air, which causes clouds and rain D: Tropical Depression – wind speed less than 39 mph S: Tropical Storm – wind speed between 39 mph and 73 mph
What does l mean for pollen?
MSLP maxima (anticyclones) and minima (depressions) are marked by the letters H (High) and L (Low) on weather charts
How do I read an isobar map?
The closer the isobars are together, the windier it is If the lowest number is in the middle circle, this is a low pressure or depression Often low pressures mean wet and windy weather If the highest number is in the middle circle, this is a high pressure or anticyclone
How do you read barometric pressure?
Reading a barometer is simple if you know what different atmospheric pressure values indicateIf the reading is under 2980 inHg (1009144 Pa or 1009144 mb): Rising or steady pressure indicates clearing and cooler weather Slowly falling pressure indicates rain Rapidly falling pressure indicates a storm is coming
What do orange dotted lines mean on a weather map?
Troughs and Ridges depict areas of constant low or high pressure This can be incredibly helpful to meteorologists in determining the future movement of weather patterns Troughs are depicted as a dashed orange line
What are the orange lines on weather map?
A dry line is depicted on National Weather Service (NWS) surface analyses as an orange line with scallops facing into the moist sector Dry lines are one of the few surface fronts where the pips indicated do not necessarily reflect the direction of motion
What does blue and purple mean on a weather map?
The word radar stands for Radio Detection and Ranging and radar images are useful for locating precipitation Shades of blue represent lighter precipitation while red and purple indicate heavier precipitation
What color is a tornado on a weather map?
This often appears as a red area directly next to a green area as seen on the National Weather Service image below If the radar shows a strong area of rotation and a debris ball in the same area, it is a strong signature that there is a tornado occurring