1. 12.4 Notes Weather Analysis

2. Main Idea: Weather maps are created to organize & describe meteorological (weather) observations.

3. ASPECTS OF WEATHER MAPS
TEMPERATURE
Lines on map: ISOTHERMS
Describe: SMOOTH LINE
CONNECTING AREAS OF
EQUAL SURFACE
TEMPERATURE.
Pressure
Lines on map: ISOBARS
Describe: SMOOTH LINE
CONNECTING AREAS OF EQUAL AIR PRESSURE.

4. RADAR MAPS
Describe: Energy waves are sent out, & the amount reflected back is measured.
Reflectivity Effects: The more energy reflected back, the higher the rainfall amount.

5. LIMITATIONS INCLUDE
Ground clutter and Evaporation
Ground Clutter: Buildings, elephants, swarms
of bugs, or other energy waves can make
storms look worse than they really ARE!

6. EVAPORATION
When water evaporates before it reaches
the ground, it can look like RAIN on a map!

7. MAIN IDEA 2:
Weather predictions are not always accurate. However, much information & science goes into each forecast made.

8. 5 Forecasting Methods: PERSISTENCE METHOD: DESCRIBE:
“The weather tomorrow will be like the weather today.”

9. NUMERICAL MODELS:
DESCRIBE: Scientists collect data & computers analyze it to predict weather.

10. CLIMATOLOGY METHOD:
DESCRIBE: Weather on a particular day will
be close to the average weather of that same date of past years.
Uses: Long-term forecasts

11. ANALOG METHOD:
DESCRIBE: Weather is predicted by comparing current conditions to past conditions that commonly produce bad types of weather.
Uses: Predicting SEVERE weather!!

12. TRENDS METHOD:
DESCRIBE: By looking at a storm’s starting
point, direction, & speed & by understanding
pressure & winds, the arrival of rain, snow, or hail storms are predicted.
Uses: Predicting ARRIVAL of precipitation!