Many old-fashioned barometers have markings with labels like "rain" or "clear weather" on them, but the barometric pressure isn't the whole story. To understand a barometer reading, you need to know the current pressure and recent changes in pressure. Once you know both these things, you can put together a forecast for the next day or two.
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Difficulty:
Moderately Easy
Instructions
1
Learn what a barometer measures. Barometers measure air pressure. As weather patterns move around the globe, air can bunch up in certain locations, causing greater air pressure than in others. By measuring those local peaks and valleys in air pressure, a barometer can tell you a lot about the weather patterns in the area.
2
Learn what a high atmospheric pressure reading means. In general, high pressure means a greater chance of clear, dry weather. When the air pressure is high, it means that the air is very dense. The density causes the air to slowly fall. When this happens, the air warms, which stops clouds from forming. Therefore, high pressure usually means clear weather.
3
Learn what a low atmospheric pressure reading means. In general, low pressure means there is a greater chance of rainy weather. When the barometer is low, the air is not dense. This causes columns of air to rise higher in the atmosphere, where they get colder. If the air is moist, this can cause clouds to form and rain to fall.
4
Learn that rising pressure usually indicates that the weather is clearing. Within the next 2 days, the sky will clear up and the weather will dry up.
5
Learn that when the barometer drops, rainier and windier weather is usually on its way. This is especially true if the weather is already bad. Barometric pressure often drops quickly right before a storm.
Tips & Warnings
The meaning of the barometer reading has a lot to do with where you live, which season it is and what the current weather is like.
Check your barometer at set times every day and keep a log of the readings and the weather. This will help you develop your meteorological skills.
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