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The forecast map weather forecasters work with

Find more about meteorology.

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

Weather forecasting requires a number of different skills from several disciplines. We apply science and technology to determine the most likely state of the earth's atmosphere at any given place and time in the future.

Want to quickly see meteorological quanties, which we call fields? Want to see them for the entire country at once and compare weather at different locations easily? A weather map makes this easy to do.

It also allows you to see patterns in the fields. Things like highs and lows, troughs and ridges, large areas of rainfall, warm, cold and sunny weather.

In a forecast map weather patterns show up as predicted for tomorrow or some other future time. And you can understand what is going to take place, especially if you compare forecast maps day-by-day. Great for travelling.

What does a meteorologist do?

A meteorologist has to work with these maps to make his predictions and you might wonder how. Here are a few notes I made after reading one of the operational meteorology training manuals.

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. These government departments produce local weather forcasts and aviation weather forecasts.

Broadcast corporations such as the Weather Channel, The Weather Network and AccuWeather can have their own staff meteorologists making customized forecasts as well.

They analyze and sort the information by contouring. That is drawing curves, called 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 photos 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.

Other uses for forecast maps

Teachers: How can you use forecast maps in the classroom?

Perhaps you can find some general ideas in this section on atmosphere lesson plans or upper

layers in our atmosphere and how we make maps for each of these upper altitudes. More on higher elevations below.

Older students might be interested in an example of how a physics formula or two gets applied in a meteorological context.

Does your curriculum allow for any internet topics such as website creation? Want to show them something really different? Really useful? You might find this information handy.

For further details on wind creation, you can get 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.

Great Forecasts

Know a better place for forecasts? Really cool graphics or super-accurate information?

All weather people like to find new places for unusual data, and here's your chance to help. Feel free to comment; nobody bites around here.

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