Questions to Ponder

• Why do we measure the weather?

• What do we measure about the weather?

• What are some of the tools we use to measure the weather?

How Are Weather Data Collected?

• The details of the weather in the different regions of the United States show the wide range of events that can take place in the atmosphere. Meteorologists use weather stations set up around the world to collect weather data. The data allow meteorologists to make predictions about the weather. Five tools are always part of a weather station:

  • rain gauge - measures the amount of precipitation that has fallen to earth

  • thermometer - measures the temperature at a specific location

  • barometer - measures the air pressure (how much air is pushing down on a specific location)

  • anemometer - measures the wind speed

  • wind vane - measures the wind direction