Name: ___________________________
Date: ______________
Lab #15: Daily Weather Station Models
Class: ________
Science
Introduction: Station models are graphic representations of weather at a particular moment in time. The feathers of a station
model always face in a clockwise manor. All of the data that you need to summarize is represented. If you were to look at a
regional map, you could find a lot of information in order to make predictions. By looking at station models all across a map,
you can identify fronts, trends, and cloud cover. You can also predict the likelihood and the type of precipitation. In this
investigation, you will record weather data and organize it in a station model. The data will be collected over five consecutive
days. After the data is retrieved, it will be evaluated.
Objective: To collect weather data and construct a station model and make predictions based on those models.
Vocabulary:
Dew Point -________________________________________________________________________________________
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Barometric Pressure - ________________________________________________________________________________
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Precipitation - ______________________________________________________________________________________
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Sling Psychrometer - ________________________________________________________________________________
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Barometer - ________________________________________________________________________________________
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Wind Vane - _______________________________________________________________________________________
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Anemometer - ______________________________________________________________________________________
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Thermometer - _____________________________________________________________________________________
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Procedure A:
1. On the report sheet, fill in the dates for the days of the week when weather data will be collected. You will need to
follow the weather ever day either on line or in a newspaper.
2. Taking readings at approximately the same time each day of the week, fill in the appropriate column on the report
sheet.
3. The radius of a star compared to the radius of the sun can be calculated using the following equation and information.
Procedure B:
1. On the blank thermogram and barogram write the correct date for each of the five days.
2. Referring to the instruments, draw continuous lines on your charts indicating the temperature and barometer readings
for the week (Be as accurate as possible).
3. Using the circles at the bottom of the barogram page as your station models, record the information shown below.
Refer to your report sheet.
a) wind speed and direction
b) air temperature
c) dew point temperature
d) percent of cloud cover (you can easily look outside for the percentage)
e) present weather conditions
f)
amount of precipitation
g) air pressure in millibars
h) barometric trend
i)
visibility
REPORT SHEET
Date
Time
Temperature
(°F)
Wind Speed
(knots)
Wind
Direction
Precipitation
(in inches in
past 6hours)
Barometric
Pressure
(inches of
mercury)
Barometric
Pressure
(millibars)
Barometric
trend (in last
3-hours)
Dew Point
Temperature
(°F)
Relative
Humidity
% Cloud
Cover
Present
Weather
Conditions
Visibility
(in miles)
1 knot = 1.15 mi/hr
Discussion Questions
1. What changes have you seen in the weather over the course of the week?
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2. What is the general trend of the weather?
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3. What relationship have you seen between humidity and dewpoint?
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4. As the dewpoint is closer to the air temperature, what happened to the humidity?
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5. What is the relationship of the humidity to cloud cover?
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6. How do station models summarize weather data?
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7. How do station models help meteorologists predict weather patterns?
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8. According to the “Luminosity and Temperature of Stars” chart in the Earth Science Reference Tables, how much
brighter is Rigel than the Sun?
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