Climate and Global Change
Introduction
Measurements of atmospheric parameters are taken several times a day at various locations around the world. For meteorologists to view and assimilate these data and to develop a picture of the atmosphere from these data, they must be plotted and analyzed on a map. How can we get all these data on a map in an organized, readable manner?
The purpose of this lab is to introduce you to the National
Weather Service (NWS) station model . Observations such as temperature, dewpoint temperature, pressure, cloud cover, wind speed, wind direction and weather conditions are recorded at the surface and throughout the depth of the atmosphere. Surface conditions are recorded at manned and automated surface weather stations. Observations above the surface are made by radiosondes — instrument packages that are carried up into the atmosphere by balloons that transmit data back to the surface (see picture at right). This surface and upper air data forms a network of observations from which meteorologists both analyze current conditions and use for input into numerical weather models that predict future conditions.
Instructions
Read “The NWS Surface Station Model” handout.
Part 1: The Station Model
Problem 1 : Look at the attached maps of the locations of surface and upper air observation sites in the U.S.
 What do you notice about the number of upper air stations and their locations
(stations that release radiosondes) compared to those that only record surface conditions?
What does this indicate about the detail of surface compared to upper level observations?

Climate and Global Change
Problem 2 : Look at the surface observation map on the next page.
 What is the date and time of this observation in AM/PM notation?
 Using the surface station model decoding handout and the weather map below, decode the temperature, dewpoint temperature and pressure observations in Huntsville,
AL; Birmingham, AL; Little Rock, AR; and Charleston, SC (these locations have boxes around them).
Location/Variable Temperature
(°F)
Huntsville, AL
Birmingham, AL
Little Rock, AR
Charleston, SC
Dewpoint Temperature
(°F)
Pressure (mb)

Climate and Global Change