IntroIntro Objective 03/20/12 Interpret and create a weather station model. What information can you gather about the following station model? ° 37.0°

STATION MODELS

Station Model  Station Model (Copy this!) ° 18.5° Barometric Pressure (kPa) High Cloud Type Middle Cloud Type Low Cloud Type Air Temp (°C) Weather Condition Dew Pnt. (°C) Wind speed & Direction Cloud Cover

Station Model  Station Model (pg. C7 in white book)

Tape worksheet into notebook. On the next page copy this setup. Open white book to page C7

Pass out worksheet to students. Work through the first problem together, highlighting the important parts that need to appear in the station model. Construct the model together. Have students work on the remaining five on their own. Correct as a class. Have volunteers draw them on the board. Before this activity is performed, it would be helpful to have students work through a simpler activity, to help them get familiar with the parts of the station model. An activity that essentially strips out the extra content, and has them simply reading lists of info and creating the station model from that.

Station Models  In Tallahassee Florida, a weather station was inundated with heavy rains from a subtropical storm that moved in off the coast. The barometric pressure is reading 29. Cumulonimbus clouds cover about 75% of the sky, and high winds of more than 37 km/h are coming in from the East. The wind has chilled the air to a brisk 20° C, with the dew point sitting at around 15° C. The clear part of the sky indicates the storm will lift soon, allowing the cirrocumulus and altocumulus clouds to poke through.

Station Models  The Las Vegas weather station has observed a record high temperature today of 47.7° C and a barometer reading of 30 kPa. The sky is sunny, with only a few cirrostratus clouds visible. Winds are coming out of the Northeast, but are barely registering at a calm 3 km/h. Due to the calm winds, a light haze can be seen above the city. The dew point is 37° C.

Station Models  Just outside Indianapolis, Indiana, a weather station recorded winds towards the Southwest of more than 45 km/h, indicating a storm is approaching quickly. At last observation the sky was completely covered in a large cumulonimbus cloud, with some altocumulus and cirrus just barely visible. The low clouds produced some rain. Barometric pressure has dropped to 28, and the temperature is a very cool 18.3° C (The dew point is about six degrees lower). Strong winds are kicking up debris.

Station Models  At the Mt. St. Helens weather station, a recent volcanic eruption has blocked out all views of the sky. The temperature is a cool 23.8° C, with a dew point of 18.5° C. Do to the extensive dust and ash, visibility is low. There is a thick haze surrounding the area, but the wind from the north is strong enough (about 19 km/h) to clear it up in a few days. The barometric pressure is 30.

Station Models  A high pressure zone has just entered into Arkansas, bringing clear sunny skies to the area. The barometer reads 31, and there isn’t a cloud in the sky. The temperature is a very nice 29.4°C and the dew point of 18.8° C indicates there may be some drizzle later today. For now, though, the weather is clear, and the wind is a calm breeze of 9 km/h coming from the West.

Station Models  A temperature of -9.4° C was reported in Fairbanks, Alaska, along with heavy snow and a barometric reading of 28. Winds are calm, but the thick snow has reduced visibility and people are being advised to stay off the roads for the next 12 hours. From the station, cirrocumulus and altostratus clouds were observed, just before the large cumulonimbus cloud moved in with the snow-showers. The dew point is 3 degrees below the temperature.