Surface Weather Map
a.k.a: Surface Synoptic Chart
Available here:
http://www.atmos.washington.edu/data/vmaproom/
Why Surface Weather Maps?
• Summarizes weather conditions at the
surface (where we are!)
• Using a progression of charts can see how
weather is evolving.
• Summarizes our conceptional model of the
atmosphere (fronts).
First Surface Weather Map
•Perhaps the first
surface weather map
was created by H. W.
Brandes in 1820 for
March 6, 1783.
•The arrows indicate
wind direction and the
lines show the
deviation of pressure
from average
conditions
•
One of the weather maps
created by Elias Loomis in
his groundbreaking paper
on the storms of February
1842. Surface wind
direction is indicated by
arrows and the deviations
from average pressure are
shown by the dashed lines.
Temperatures are indicated
by dotted lines and the sky
or precipitation type by the
color shading. This map
indicates a strong lowpressure center over the
Ohio Valley, rain on the
coast, and snow-laden
northwesterly winds to the
west.
The Telegraphic Communication
Revolution
• By 1849 a telegraphic network
was organized in the United States
for the transmission of daily
meteorological observations for a
collection of stations.
• In England during the l851
World's Fair, a telegraphic
company prepared daily weather
maps for display, and by 1859 the
British Meteorological
Department began to operationally
distribute weather information
using this new technology.
The internet of the 19th
century
First Real-Time Weather Maps
First Fronts
• The Norwegian Cyclone Model, around
1920
1950 Surface Weather Map
Still Used Today
Surface Observations are plotted
using the station model