How to Track an Anemometer
Anemometers are used by amateur and professional meteorologists alike to measure wind speed. Whether you have access to a digital anemometer or are using a homemade version, you need to know how to track your anemometer to be able to put the information you are gathering on wind speed to good use. The data gathered from an anemometer, combined with a few other observational elements, can help you to predict weather trends.
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Instructions
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Make a chart on graph paper. You will want to add six columns with the following headings: day, time, temperature, weather, cloud type and wind speed. If you have access to a spreadsheet program, such as Microsoft Excel, you can use this instead, as it will make your calculations easier.
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Fill out the dates for the next seven days on your chart and mark each date three times, so you will have a total of 21 rows.
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Mark the time for each row. The first time you mark for a day should be in the morning before the sun comes up. The next row on the same day should have a typical midday time marked and the third should list a time after the sun has set. Use the same times for each day, for instance, 6 a.m., 12 p.m. and 8 p.m.
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Write down the following conditions on each day at each time you observe them: temperature, weather conditions (rainy, snowy, sunny, overcast), cloud cover (cumulus, stratus, cirrus, nimbus) and wind speed. If you have a digital anemometer, take the reading from the gauge. If you are using a homemade one with one colored cup, count the rotations per minute and multiply by 60 to figure out the wind speed in miles per hour. If you want to know your wind speed in knots, divide your miles per hour by 1.15078030303.
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Graph your data. Do this by creating an x- and y-axis graph, making the x-axis the time of day and the y-axis the wind speed. For each variable, plot a separate data point using different colored pens for different variables (such as cloud cover). You will begin to be able to track the anemometer readings in relation to the weather conditions by looking for overlapping graph points.
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Tips & Warnings
You don't need to own an anemometer to track one. Simply log on to your local weather station website and get the wind speed readings from there or watch your local news on TV.
Never take readings of wind speed from anemometers at different locations if you are trying to produce a predictive chart. There will be too many different geographical elements affecting the reading to produce a reliable chart.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Storm King
