Weather Symbols Lab
Name:_____________
Date:_____________
Introduction
In class, you have learned the
standard symbols used to represent the many kinds of weather. In this activity
you will see how the station model is employed to represent all of the weather
elements at a reporting location. By plotting all of the stations on the same
map, you can then quickly scan the map and discern patterns. Perhaps one of the
most useful patterns for understanding middle-latitude weather systems, is that of the isobars or lines of constant
pressure. These identify areas of high and low pressure and
associated weather features.
Objectives
Learn to use the surface station
model.
Learn to identify the isobars
on a surface map.
Instruction
Refer to Chapter 25 of your
text and the Notes & Handouts packet for this section of Chapter 25 and
observe the location of each weather element around the circle (which
represents the reporting station) and how each one is represented.
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temperature
(°F on most maps we'll look at) |
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present
weather (the symbols you learned in the previous Activity) |
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dew
point temperature (°F on most maps we'll look at) |
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total
amount of clouds (the fraction of the circle darkened is the fraction of the
sky covered) |
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barometric
pressure at sea level (mb coded with just tens, units, and tenths normally
reported) |
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wind
direction (in degrees) |
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wind
speed (in knots) |
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pressure
tendency during past 3 hours (gives mb in units and tenths and a graphic
symbol) |
All of the weather elements
will not always be reported at each location. Also, some maps will show
additional details, such as the types of clouds and their heights.
* For an on-line discussion,
study the information at Interpreting
Surface Observation Symbols.
* Study the link to Isobars.
Remember, you have drawn isobars in a previous activity.
* Now, practice by interpreting
the surface observations on the Weather Symbols homework sheet provided to you
by the teacher.
Finally, let's review the
relationships between the fronts, precipitation patterns, and isobars.
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The
highs (centers of high pressure) generally do not have precipitation
associated with them |
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The
lows generally (though not always) do have associated precipitation |
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The
fronts often have precipitation associated with them, with
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Web Examples
Review the surface weather maps
below and be sure that you can decode the surface weather at any location (at
least what you can read on the maps - they can become cluttered with
overlapping data!) and identify the isobars.
New England Data Plot from
Unisys
Surface
Map from The Weather Channel
New England
Data Plot from Penn State University
Practice Questions
A. Refer to the image below and
answer the following questions:
- What are the temperature and dew point at the station in
the Texas Panhandle? __________________________________________
- What is the general wind direction in the
Texas-Louisiana-Mississippi region?
_____________________________________________
- What type of precipitation is being reported in the southernmost
station in
- What is the current weather in central
- What is the current weather in central
- What is the current weather in northern
____________________________________________________ - What is the cloud cover at all but one location in
- What is the cloud cover in
- What are the winds just off the coast of southeastern
- What is the pressure in
B. Refer to the image below and
identify the following isobars:
- Passing through
- Touching the northern tip of
- Encircling the 997 mb low over
