The forecast map weather forecasters work with - What does a meteorologist do?

When plotted on a forecast map weather data can look intimidating.

What to do before working with the official data for a dozen

or so fields? How do we wade through these variables such as temperature, pressure etc. and perhaps a hundred or more surface locations such as airports? Meteorologists need some way to make sense of this information.

These forecast map weather professionals work for large organizations. Employers such as the National Weather Service or similar agencies in other parts of the world that produce local weather forcasts. Broadcast corporations such as The Weather Network can have their own staff meteorologists making customized forecasts as well.

They analyze and sort the information by contouring. That is drawing curves, isopleths, on the map joining places with equal values for each variable and using a standardized set of colors to represent each of the different types of quantity.

They look for familiar patterns and compare with satellite and radar imagery. By knowing the physics of the atmosphere, they can diagnose the weather situation and make a four-dimensional picture of the atmosphere.

What does four dimensional mean?

The usual three plus time.

Meteorologists are good guessers.

With their forecast map weather wizards have to make quick decisions with insufficient data and may even use an area's history and known tendencies to "fill in the gaps".

Are you an educator? Perhaps you can find some ideas for atmosphere lesson plans or layers in our atmosphere for fundamental classroom ideas. Higher grades might be interested in an example of a physics formula or two in a meteorological context. If your curriculum includes any internet topics such as website creation, you might find this information or the free course material available from this page handy.

For further details on wind creation, you can find information on weather jet streams and gulf streams for comparison. Also see some of the vertical structure of the atmosphere.

If it is rain storms their creation and effects you're after, try the dew point article or photos and diagrams of severe weather.

To see forecast map weather techniques for analyzing patterns at higher altitudes in the troposphere, go to the upper air analysis pages.

To get your local forecast right on your desktop, check out Weather4You weather forecast software.

Here is where you can receive emailed articles in meteorology.

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