Reading the Weather
Adopt a city and becoming a meteorologist
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Introduction:
What is the weather? How do we predict it? Why is it important to know? These are some problems
that meteorologist study every day. Well, you can too.
In this activity you and your group members will adopt a city. You are responsible for recording the
weather for several different U.S. cities. You will record the temperature, the pressure, the humidity,
the wind speed and direction, the several other weather related parameters in a weather log that will
remain in class. Also, you and your group will be responsible for graphing the temperature and pressure
data for your city. Then, as a class, we will record your data into our U.S. weather map. There will be
several short answer questions every class that you will need to answer.
At the end of this activity you should be able to find a relationship between weather, temperature, and
pressure, as well as be able to predict the weather for the following day. This is a competition in which
the group with the most accurate weather prediction will gain a prize. Your final “weather report” will
be recorded and presented as the weather forecast for the next day.
Meteorology:
Why study the weather?
Of all of the subjects in the world to study, why do we care about the weather? Weather affects us in
our everyday lives. It dictates what kind of clothes we will wear, what kind of food we can eat, where
we want to live. Weather has changed history. It stopped the Spanish from conquering the English, it
caused the Mayflower to land in Massachusetts, it stopped Napoleon from conquering Russia, and it
flooded New Orleans. Knowing the weather and being able to predict it is therefore a very important
job. As a meteorologist, you can save the lives of people just by being able to know when the storm will
hit.
So who is a meteorologist?
A meteorologist is more than just the person who speaks on the television. Meteorologist study the
science of the weather. They want to know how natural processes and human activities affect our
atmosphere. They want to know how our environment, our Earth, changes under different climates and
with different pollutants. And they get to use state of the art equipment, such as computers, radars,
instrumented aircrafts that fly into storms, and satellites, to do what they do.
What do meteorologists do?
Meteorologists are scientists at heart. They use scientific principles to explain, understand, observe, and
forecast the Earth’s atmospheric phenomena and/or how the atmosphere affects the earth and life on
this planet. They work primarily in the field of atmospheric research, teaching, weather forecasting,
and other kinds of applied meteorology in industry and in the government. They seek to use their
understanding of the weather to help people stay dry, stay safe, and to protect ships and planes in
stormy weather.
Where do meteorologists work?
The largest employer of meteorologist in this country is the United States government. Most
meteorologist are employed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which
includes the National Weather Service. Others work on active duty with the military, primarily in the Air
Force and the Navy, while others are civilian employees of the Department of Defense (DoD). Others
work for the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of Energy (DoE),
and the Department of Agriculture (DoA). Still more work in major universities and private industry.
Many TV stations employ professional meteorologists rather than reporters to present weather
information to their viewers. Meteorologists make an average salary of $94,000 and a medium salary of
$81,300.
How do I become a meteorologist?
To be a meteorologist, you’ve got to get at least a bachelor’s degree from a college or university. That’s
about four years of studying at school. Most meteorologists, especially those who go on to atmospheric
research, get a PhD. While some schools offer meteorology or atmospheric studies as a major for an
aspiring meteorologist, having a degree in physic, chemistry, engineering, or mathematics can also
suffice. Check out this link by the American Meteorological Society for some more information:
http://www.ametsoc.org/pubs/careers.html
To get started in high school, think about focusing on mathematics. A lot of meteorology involves
studying weather patterns to determine what the weather will be the next day. So, getting a good
foundation in math will help. However, getting yourself involved in physics, chemistry, or earth science
might be a good way to start to.
Answer the following questions about meteorology and studying the weather:
1. State one reason to study the weather:
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2. Name one field in which meteorologist work:
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3. Who is the largest employer of meteorologist in this country? What is the average salary of a
meteorologist? Is that a lot of money?
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4. Name one area that you should focus on if you want to become a meteorologist?
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Adopting a City:
Each group is responsible for recording the weather for one (1) U.S. city. The weather log and
corresponding graphs will be provided to you in your group folder.
Grouping:
Divide yourselves into four responsibilities: the reporter, the recorder, the graphkeeper, and the
timekeeper. The reporter needs to report the weather for his/her group’s city to the class and write the
data into the class weather log. The recorder needs to record the weather data for his/her group’s city
in the group’s weather log. The graphkeeper needs to graph the temperature and pressure data for
his/her group’s city. The timekeeper needs to keep track of the time and must make sure group records,
graphs, and reports their city’s weather data in a timely manner.
Weather Reports:
Every class you and your group will receive weather reports for your city for the previous two days. It is
your job then to interpret these weather reports and record the data in your graphs and weather log.
Also, you will need to write down the name of each instrument and what their purpose is on this
handout. A sample weather report is found below as a guideline to help you fill out your data:
Name of Your
Adopted City
and Date
Type of
Weather in
Your City
Example:
Weather Map
of the US
Weather
Data from
Your City
Psychometer
Humidity = 79%
Absence:
If for some reason a member of your group is absent from class, it is still the group’s responsibility to
record, graph, and report the data. Your group’s ability to keep a well-kept record will go a long way
towards your final grade.
Class Weather Map:
Besides recording your city’s data into your city’s weather log, as a class we will record the weather for
the United States. Each class the reporter will be asked to input their city’s data into the class weather
log. Then your teacher show how this data relates to the rest of the country. Each class you will get
three to five questions related to this class weather map. These questions will ask you to think about
the weather concepts you learned and if you can see a pattern form.
Predicting the Weather:
The final part of this project includes two parts: a short write-up related to your weather log and graphs
and a weather report predicting the weather for your city.
Weather Write-Up:
Based on the data you gathered, write a short paragraph explaining if you see any patterns in the
weather. Be sure to include if there is a relationship between temperature, pressure, and the
precipitation (rain, snow, cloudy, sunny) in your paragraph. Each group member will need to write this
paragraph in the space after your daily weather questions.
Report the Weather:
Now it’s time to make the evening news! As a group you will receive a map of the United States, several
markers, and some paper. What we need you to do is create a TV weather report that will predict the
weather for your city for the next day to be recorded on camera.
The best way to make this weather report is to watch the news. You need to include the predicted
temperature and predicted precipitation.
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Daily Question Log:
Write down the daily questions and answers given to you in class in your daily question log.
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Write-Up:
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