Forecasting the Weather

Introduction

How often do you watch the weather on TV or listen on the radio for the weather forecast?  The weather affects everything from afternoon swim practice to attacks on enemy forces during wars.

Weather forecasting used to be thought of as witchcraft. Today, we rely on weather forecasters to help us plan our days and prepare for life-threatening conditions. 

Some people "feel in their bones" when a storm is coming.  Some people watch the animals and plants to know when it is about to storm.  Those of us with televisions and radios don't have to wait for sparrows to fly by, we can just watch or listen to the weather.

Task

Forecasting the Weather Webquest Tasks

A. Forming Concepts (Introductory) Objectives

  1. Draw examples of weather map symbols. 
  2. Define common weather terms. 
  3. Explain weather systems. 

B. Interpreting Data Objectives

  1. Interpret temperature, wind, pressure, and cloud maps. 
  2. Draw cloud positions based on pressure maps. 
  3. Forecast the position of clouds three days from today. 

C. Applying Principles Objectives

  1. Relate temperature maps to pressure maps. 
  2. Relate pressure maps to wind maps. 
  3. Relate wind chill to wind and temperature maps.
Process

The job of weather forecasters is to get information on weather events and pass it on to you. This is so you can plan your day, week, or plan for severe weather such as tornadoes, hurricanes, or thunderstorms.  It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Below is a weather map. Just think of how many words it would take to describe all the information in this picture. To understand the picture and all the information it has, start the activity and learn about what the map tells you.  

A -  Weather Symbols

checkmark - Click here to go to the Weather Symbols Site Link http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/maps/sfcobs/wx.rxml 

        - Read the chart and fill in the symbols in your activity book sheet.

B - Cloud Cover Symbols

checkmarkClick here to go to the Cloud Cover Symbols Site  http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/maps/sfcobs/cldcvr.rxml 

  1. How would you show the skies were about 50% cloudy?

C - Storm Structure

checkmarkClick here to go to the PROJECT WIND SPEED SYMBOLS site at UIUC WW2010.

  • Read pages 1 through 3.
  1. How do you show the direction that the wind is blowing from?
  2. What is the relationship between the length of the lines on the wind barb and the speed that the lines indicate?
  3. Write a sentence describing a wind barb showing that a southerly wind is blowing about 15 knots with clear skies.
  4. Draw a wind barb showing a northwesterly wind blowing at 20 knots with 25% cloud cover.
  5. Convert 20 knots to miles per hour.
  6. Draw a wind barb showing 86 mile per hour southwesterly wind and overcast skies.  (First, convert miles per hour to knots.)