How to Interpret Weather Maps
Weather maps render an abbreviated portrayal of current or forecast weather patterns. The data comprising such maps gains compilation from instrumental recordings provided by weather stations, satellite and radar images or computer analysis. Surface analysis maps are the most prevalent, making appearances across the web, on the evening news and in the morning papers. Attempting to interpret a surface analysis map may appear rather daunting to those unfamiliar with meteorology, however, gaining an understanding of the various lines, circles and depictions on a weather map proves to be rather simple.
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Instructions
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Anticipate symbols for spheres of high and low pressure. Look for a capital blue "H" signifying high air pressure and a take note of the capital red "L" depicting low air pressure. Moderate weather suitable for outdoor activities come pronounced with high pressure, whereas low pressure indicates cloud cover and precipitation, beckoning indoor activity.
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Substantiate incoming or outgoing warm and cold fronts. Cold fronts are represented by the color blue, designating cold air masses. Warm fronts on the other hand, are shown in red to depict a mass of warm air. A boundary between the two masses in meteorology refers to a weather front, signaling a change in atmospheric conditions to include the direction and speed of wind, rise or fall of temperatures and changes in precipitation.
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Pay attention to occlusions (a composite front when a mass of cold air envelops a mass of warm air, forcing it upward) designated by the color purple, giving the appearance of a joint warm and cold front symbol. Expect a change of temperature when you see this representation.
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Keep vigilant for stationary fronts, signifying a stagnant mass of air, consistent temperatures and weather conditions.
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Monitor the possibility for precipitation. Heavy black dots signify rain, while snowflakes indicate winter conditions. The more dots or snowflakes revealed, the more intense the precipitation. Commas usually represent light drizzle, while combined dots and snowflakes point to mixed precipitation.
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On the lower right-hand corner of your weather map is a legend detailing other symbols to indicate hazardous conditions such as freezing rain, ice, dust storms or possible hurricanes, just to name a few. These could prove climacteric in preparing for a long-winter storm or other conditions that may prompt evacuation.
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Tips & Warnings
Meteorology is not an exact science. Stay up on the weather each day by studying the most current weather map available to gauge weather conditions.
Do not neglect to check weather conditions before heading outdoors. Hazardous weather conditions can creep up instantly, such as sudden blizzards or dangerous thunderstorms. Your local forecasters can usually provide advanced warning of such potential conditions. Be sure the heed the recommendations provided.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit weather icons image by Slobodan Djajic from Fotolia.com
