Reading a Weather Map

You need this page & weather maps!

This usually means CLEAR WEATHER. This usually means STORMY weather. What Does It All Mean? The H stands for a High Pressure System This usually means CLEAR WEATHER. The L stands for a Low Pressure System This usually means STORMY weather.

What are Air Masses???? Large areas of air that have the same weather, temperature, and humidity. Weather changes occur as air masses move and interact.

What are Fronts??? A front is the boundary between two air masses. Fronts bring changes in the weather. Because of the wind patterns, they generally move from west to east in the US. Fronts are named for the air that is behind them.

Cold Front Cold dense air pushes warm air out of the way. Cold fronts move very quickly and bring short periods of rain/thunderstorms. Lower temperatures are behind the front. SYMBOL – the direction of the “arrows” points towards the direction the front is MOVING.

Cold Front Diagram

Cold Front On Weather Map How can you tell which direction the front is moving from the map?

Front Awesome Cold Front Time Lapse! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NoPXm7d5Tc

Warm Front Warm air moves up the cold front as it slowly displaces the cold air. Warm fronts move slowly and can bring many days of steady precipitation. Higher temperatures are behind the front. SYMBOL – direction of semicircles is the direction the front is moving.

Warm Front On Weather Map How can you tell which direction the front is moving from the map?

Front

Stationary Front The air from the warm front and cold front meet, but do not move. These fronts have weather similar to warm fronts. SYMBOL – warm and cold air masses are moving in opposite directions, thus making a stationary condition

Stationary Front Where the warm and cool air meet, water vapor in the warm air condenses into rain, snow, fog, or clouds.

Occluded Fronts Result when cold air overtakes cool air and forces the relatively warmed (cool) air upwards, causing precipitation.

Occluded Front 

Let’s see it on the map! Stationary Front Cold Front Warm Front http://www.wunderground.com/maps/#?type=Fronts Click for Current Weather Map!

Weather Maps Will Usually Have Legends… READ THEM!

You Might Also See Maps Using Radar… What’s Our Current Local Weather Map? http://www.wunderground.com/maps/#?type=Fronts

Archived National Weather Maps for Comparison: http://www. hpc. ncep Archived National Weather Maps for Comparison: http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/noaa/noaa_archive.php?lang=english Predict the Weather! www.edheads.org Credits: http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-wind.htm http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anemometer_Barani_anim_120x120.gif http://www.carlroth.com