1. Reading a Weather Map

2. You need this page & weather maps!

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. Cold Front Diagram

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

9. Front
Awesome Cold Front Time Lapse!

10. 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.

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

13. Front

14. 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

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

16. Let’s see it on the map! Stationary Front Cold Front Warm Front
Click for Current Weather Map!

18. Weather Maps Will Usually Have Legends… READ THEM!

19. You Might Also See Maps Using Radar…
What’s Our Current Local Weather Map?

20. Archived National Weather Maps for Comparison: http://www. hpc. ncep
Archived National Weather Maps for Comparison: Predict the Weather! Credits: