Meteorologists measure things like temperature, air pressure, wind and humidity to make a good forecast. They must have good data….and they must have a lot of it!

6.Tools used by meteorologists A. Thermometer- measures temperature B.Barometer- measures air pressure

6.Tools used by meteorologists C.Anemometer- measures wind speed Hygrometer- measures relative humidity Ceilometer- measures cloud height

Radiosonde: sensors carried by a special balloon that gather weather data high up in the atmosphere and send it back by radio signal

Weather radar uses microwaves and a computer to show where rain occurs. The Doppler Effect shows the change in wave frequency that occurs when light or sound moves toward or away from an observer (like a siren).

7.Doppler Radar A.Doppler Radar plots how quickly raindrops are moving towards/away from a radar station. This helps to provide wind speeds.

Satellites- take pictures of cloud cover Infrared satellites- special satellites that measure differences in temperature

8.Station model A.It is a record of weather data for a particular site at a particular time.

8.Station model (Copy this picture and label) B.Example Temperature % of cloud cover Wind Direction and speed

9.Isobar A.Lines that connect points of equal air pressure. B.The closer the isobars, the higher the wind !

Digital Forecast: a forecast using high-speed computers to calculate numerical data Analog Forecast: comparing current events to past events to predict future conditions ** Most weather forecasts get less accurate over time, and are generally most accurate for 1-3 days.**