How to Make Your Own Pressure Pattern Map
Making a pressure pattern map is guided by a two simple rules. First, higher temperatures will yield lower air pressure. Second lower temperatures will yield higher air pressure. With those rules in mind, make a pressure pattern map without getting intimidated by the complexity of weather models.
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Instructions
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A blank map outline will be easiest to use to make a pressure pattern map. Print a map of the area for which you want to make a pressure pattern map. The area should be large, such as a continent or a country. Choose an area with a range of climates, such as the U.S., which ranges from tropical to sub-Artic temperatures. Add five to 10 cities to your map as reference points. Label these cities by name.
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Search the Internet for average temperatures for each of your chosen cities for a selected month. For example, find average temperatures for each city for October. Be consistent and use the same month for all cities, and label the map with the average temperature for each city placed next to its name.
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Locate areas of high and low pressure on the map based on these average temperatures. Cold air is denser and heavier, resulting in higher air pressure. Warm air is less compact and, therefore, lighter, resulting in lower air pressure. Meteorologists often use a blue upper case H to represent areas of high pressure, and an red upper case L for low pressure. Label the map this way also for each city you included.
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Predict where winds are likely to occur. Winds are caused by high air pressure rushing into areas of low pressure, so you should be able to tell from your map where windy conditions exist.
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References
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