Weather Station Model Exercise
Introduction: A weather station model is a convenient
tool used by meteorologists to record a variety of data
about weather conditions for a particular location.
Several cities throughout the country have been selected
to generate weather data -- in
the form of the weather station model –
every three hours. This data collected is
valuable to meteorologists who wish to
accurately predict weather patterns. The design of a
weather station model allows a meteorologist to incorporate a great deal of
information in symbolic form. One location’s station model can then be
represented on a map with other station models from nearby (and far off)
locations. Meteorologists looking at a map with plotted weather station models
can quickly make observations about current weather conditions and predict
future weather patterns. The design of a “weather station model” can be found
on pg. 13 of your Reference Tables.
Directions: Use Pg. 13 of your Reference Tables and your weather “tech-notes”
to assist you in accurately designing 8 different weather station models for 8
different locations experiencing different weather conditions.
#1 – Cheyenne, WY
#2 – Springfield, IL
#3 – Sacramento, CA
#4 – Baton Rouge, LA
#5 – Bangor, ME
#6 – Miami, FL
#7 – Binghamton, NY
#8 – Reno, NV
WEATHER STATION MODEL SCENARIOS
#1 Cheyenne, WY: Cheyenne is experiencing 25% cloud cover at the moment.
The air temperature is 62˚F with a dew point temperature of 52˚F. Winds are
from the southwest with a speed of 25 knots. Current barometric pressure is
1011.1 mb and the barometric trend shows a increase in pressure of 1.6 mb
over the past three hours. Visibility is four miles.
#2 Springfield IL: Springfield is currently experiencing heavy rain showers, ¾
of an inch of rain has already fallen in Springfield over the past 6 hours. The
sky is completely cloudy and visibility is limited to ¼ of a mile. The barometric
pressure is 995.2 mb and is steadily dropping (by 3.2 mb in the past 3 hours).
The air temperature and dew point temperature are the same at 62˚F. The wind
is coming from the south at a speed of 20 knots.
#3 Sacramento, CA: Sacramento has a current air temperature of 40˚F and a
dew point temperature of 39˚F. Skies are 100% cloudy and fog has set into the
city; visibility is 1/10 of a mile. The barometric pressure is 1000 mb and has
risen slightly in the past 3 hours by 1.1 mb. There are no winds present in the
city.
#4 Baton Rouge, LA: One half of the sky is covered with clouds today in the city.
Winds are from the southeast and are fairly calm at 5 knots. The air
temperature is 73˚F and the dew point temperature is 65˚F. The air pressure is
currently 1013.8 mb.
#5 Bangor, ME: It is cold today in Bangor with an air temperature of 21˚F. It
is currently snowing with ½ inch of precipitation already on the ground. Skies
are 100% cloudy with a wind from the southwest at 10 knots. The dew point
temperature is 22˚F. The current barometric pressure is 998.9 mb. and has
shown a steady decrease of 2.4 mb over the past three hours.
#6 Miami, FL: It is a bright and sunny day in Miami with no clouds in sight.
There is also no wind apparent at this time. The air pressure is 1020 mb and
has shown a steady increase of 4.5 mb in the past three hours. The air
temperature is 89˚F.
#7 Binghamton, NY: The air temperature is 39˚F in Binghamton currently with
a dew point temperature of 35˚F. The air pressure has shown a steady decrease
of 2.0 mb over the past three hours; it is currently at 1000.4 mb. Winds are
from the northwest at a speed of 15 knots. One half of the sky is covered with
clouds.
#8 Reno, NV: Reno is experiencing heavy thunderstorms currently; ½ of an
inch of rain has already fallen on the city over the past six hours. Visibility is
limited to 1/8 of a mile. Skies are completely cloudy and strong, gusty winds
(30 knots) are coming from the south. The air pressure is currently 987.3 mb.
The air temperature is 95˚F and the dew point temperature is 97˚F.
Weather Station Models
#1 Cheyenne, WY
#2 Springfield, IL
#3 Sacramento, CA
#4 Baton Rouge, LA
#5 Bangor, ME
#7 Binghamton, NY
#6 Miami, FL
#8 Reno, NV