Science & Nature

Weather maps (or charts) give you a picture of the weather over a geographical area at a single point in time. Creating a weather map gives you the data to forecast the weather as a whole or a...

Synoptic means "view together" or "view at a common point". A synoptic weather map shows weather patterns over a large area by putting together many weather reports from different locations all...

Take a drive in the country and you are sure to encounter farmhouses with rooster weather vanes perched atop their roofs or cupolas. Weather vanes were a folk art tradition that turned centuries...

People travel from around the world to watch birds in Arizona. The variety of habitats ensures an opportunity to see many different species, from tiny hummingbirds to California condors with...

Meteorologists use sophisticated instruments to measure the environment and predict the weather. A well-equipped weather station includes tools that determine air temperature, wind direction and...

In the simplest terms, a thermometer is used in weather forecasting by measuring temperature. The name is made up of the two words: "thermo" meaning heat and "meter" meaning to measure....

Water covers the majority of the Earth's surface, so it only makes sense that oceans play a large role in the weather and climate of the planet. They are divided into five bodies--the Atlantic,...

Man's attraction to things that fly may explain why weather balloons cause people to pause and observe when they see one even today. Most weather balloons are manufactured from flexible latex...

Many people wonder how the local weather forecaster comes up with the probability of precipitation. Most laymen call this percentage the chance of rain or snow. The percentage tells you the...

If you are like most people, checking the weather is a daily routine. Will you have clear skies for your garden party? Could your tomato plants freeze tonight? Should you wear shorts or a sweater?...

Climate describes the overall tendencies over a long period of time with respect to the "average" weather in a given location. Weather, on the other hand, is what's happening around you. When it...

You could spend money on the various instruments needed to create your own weather station--or make one from things you can find around the house. Building your own weather instruments will help...

Currents of fast-moving air form the jet stream six to nine miles above the Earth's surface. These currents help weather forecasters predict the weather. Meteorologists use computer models to...

Add a second life to an older laptop computer; use it as a full time weather radar! My older Dell B130 laptop has some issues and pretty much is 'dead'.However, it has just enough life in it to...

Weather instruments are easy to make at home with a few basic things you might already have around the house. Try these three homemade weather devices, and keep a record of your local activity....

Air has weight. The weight of air pressing down on the atmosphere and Earth's surface is air pressure. Air pressure is also known as barometric pressure, which is measured by barometers. Air...

Weather maps are very specific types of maps that show the current atmospheric conditions, including building weather patterns. Other types of maps oriented around landscapes, like topography...

Weather maps provide a variety of information on the weather. Some weather maps show cloud cover; some show wind direction and air pressure. Scientists use weather maps to display and analyze data...

As climate change becomes more of a reality worldwide, it is beneficial to understand the differences between weather and climate and what each affects. People's everyday lives are affected by the...

Just like the lyrics in the popular Bob Dylan song, you do not need a weatherman to tell you which way the wind blows. All you need is a weather vane. These practical devices have adorned the...

Doppler radar is a way of measuring radio waves from a radar antenna to determine the frequencies of raindrops, hailstones, snowflakes and other objects in the air. This enables meteorologists to...

A tornado is a very violent rotating storm that forms under a cumuliform cloud. Tornadoes may or may not have visible funnels. Given the destructive and dangerous nature of tornadoes,...

Midland radios are weather alert receivers that allow users to receive up-to-date weather broadcasts from the National Weather Service. The receiver picks up local broadcasts and alerts you to...

Weather vanes first appeared more than two thousand years ago. They let people know the direction the wind came from and served as an early meteorological tool. These devices consist of two...

Hilton Head has been occupied for approximately 6,000 years. If averages hold true, that's more than a million days of sunshine that humans of one sort or another have enjoyed over the years....

The use of computers in weather forecasting is but a recent blip on the radar following millennia of meteorological studies. Notables such as Aristotle and Galileo studied weather systems. The...

Doppler radar is a familiar term used daily on television by meteorologists during weather reports. Used correctly, it can track storms, hurricanes and other dangerous weather conditions. There...

A weather vane is a device used for determining the direction the wind is blowing. Weather vanes have been used since ancient times and have graced the steeples of grand cathedrals and the roofs...

Easy and simple way to make a barometer so you can predict the weather. A great science project and a nifty way to learn about air pressure and its correlation to weather.

Weather vanes are instruments used for determining the direction of the wind and are typically placed on a rooftop or in a garden. Weather vanes are only partially accurate and are usually...

Weather instruments are used to give meteorologists information on the behavior of weather patterns and how they affect the atmosphere. They range from simple devices, such as thermometers and...

There are some bugs that can actually help us predict the weather without having to listen to a weatherman. Obviously this won’t give you’re the 5 day forecast, but it is quite interesting and...

Looking for the right rain gauge has perhaps become a much more complicated task than a decade ago. With so many rain gauges to choose from and the number of retailers offering high quality rain...

You might have a number of reasons for wanting to know the atmospheric pressure, sometimes known as the barometric pressure. Atmospheric pressure is a key indicator for predicting the weather, it...

Weather radar, also referred to as Doppler radar, is a useful tool in forecasting weather. It is also useful to the typical person because it can let them know if and when bad weather will affect...

Meteorologist are scientists who do more than just forecast weather. They interpret climate trends, study the pressure of the earth and its temperature, the wind and humidity. They can work for...

These signals are then reflected back to the transmitting site, where a computer converts them into pictures that show the location and strength of the precipitation. Radio waves that are...

It is hard to imagine cavemen tuning in to a newscast to get there Saturday morning forecast. There was a time when people had to predict how they whether was going to be simply looking up at the...

Weather affects everyone's life. For some people, such as aviation pilots, boaters and farmers, weather is extremely important. Yet we have no control over this phenomenon of nature. We can,...

When you see a weather balloon being launched, it looks as if someone forgot to fill it all the way up. The scientists did not forget, though; it was deliberate, prompted by a physical principle...

The National Weather Service states that atmospheric pressure "is the force per unit area exerted by the atmosphere at a given point." Being a primary weather parameter that can act as a proxy for...

Weather comes in many different varieties, from frozen precipitation to thunderstorms. Depending on where you live in the United States, you may have the chance to experience many different and...

Weather aficionados place weather vanes on top of the highest available point of a building. Choosing an unobstructed position for the weather vane will help provide the most accurate reading of...

A barometer is a device created to measure atmospheric pressure. The pressure is measured by either using air, water or mercury. Barometers predict pressure changes, which can tell what kind of...

Global weather and climate have been in the news for much of the past few decades. The weather itself is part of most local news broadcasts the world over, as the local populace decides what to...

The basic concept of the weather balloon has changed little since its development in the late 1800s, although improvements to the balloon material and data collection have occurred over the years....

Measuring air pressure is the primary function of the barometer. The National Weather Service describes air pressure as the sum total of pressure exerted as randomly moving individual molecules...

Weather balloons have long been valuable instrument for measuring and forecasting weather conditions. Today's weather balloons are far more sophisticated than those used in the past, yet...

No human on Earth is immune from the effects of weather and climate changes. Tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards and floods are just some of the damaging results of weather, while climate changes can...

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...