Meteorologists measure things like temperature, air pressure, wind and

humidity to make a good forecast. They must have good data….and they must

have a lot of it!

6. Tools used by meteorologists

A. Thermometer- measures temperature

B. Barometer- measures air pressure

6. Tools used by meteorologists

C. Anemometer- measures wind speed

Hygrometer- measures relative humidity

Ceilometer- measures cloud height

Radiosonde: sensors carried by a special balloon that gather weather data high up in the atmosphere and send it back by radio signal

Weather radar uses microwaves and a computer to show where rain occurs.

The Doppler Effect shows the change in wave frequency that occurs when light or sound moves toward or away from an

observer (like a siren).

7. Doppler RadarA. Doppler Radar plots how

quickly raindrops are moving towards/away from a radar station.

This helps to provide wind speeds.

Satellites- take pictures of cloud cover

Infrared satellites- special satellites that measure differences in temperature

8. Station model A. It is a record of weather data for

a particular site at a particular time.

8. Station model (Copy this picture and label)

B. Example Temperature

% of cloud cover

Wind Direction and speed

9. IsobarA. Lines that connect points of equal air

pressure. B. The closer the isobars, the higher the

wind!

Digital Forecast: a forecast using high-speed computers to calculate numerical data

Analog Forecast: comparing current events to past events to predict future conditions

** Most weather forecasts get less accurate over time, and are generally most accurate for 1-3 days.**