Weather Forecasting
posted Wed Jan 17, 2024 by Ceci Mungovan
Humans have been watching the weather for thousands of years. Only recently though have we had technology capable of predicting it. Meteorologists use these technologies, including supercomputers, along with their expertise to make weather forecasts. Some tools measure precipitation while others give a bird's eye view of the country.
Geostationary satellites give a bigger picture perspective, it is used to watch for the formation of severe storms, like blizzards. Two satellites in orbit 22,300 miles up cover the entire western hemisphere. When you see a weather map of the entire country, the data is captured by a geostationary satellite.
Polar orbiting satellites have a lower orbit at 517 miles, and orbit between the two poles. These help forecast weather by providing data on temperature and moisture levels in the atmosphere for a more specific area. They can also provide more detailed images of severe storms. Together they are used to give meteorologists both general information on storms like size and type along with more detailed information on how a storm is developing in a local area.
Several types of radar are used to predict weather patterns. Radar is used on the ground to track precipitation. It gives information on where precipitation is falling and what type of precipitation occurs. The radar releases radio waves and listens for a response. If the radio waves hit something, in this case, precipitation, it will bounce off the particle and waves will scatter. The amount of waves that reflect back to the radar depends on the size and type of precipitation. Doppler radar is another type of radar that can also measure wind speeds by tracking the speed and direction of the precipitation. A computer compiles this information into a map and meteorologists are able to read this to determine what kind of precipitation is falling, where it is, and the rate that it is falling at.
Automated surface observing systems are used to provide continuous information on surface weather conditions. These are things that you would experience standing on the Earth, versus what the satellite observes from their orbit. They are mainly located at airports and are shared by different government agencies, as they are crucial for flying. It gives information about wind, atmospheric conditions, precipitation, and visibility. It is always on so it gives live updates on the conditions.
Winter storms are forecasted using computer models. These models use a wide variety of information collected by computers from the satellites, doppler radar, and automated surface observing systems. All of this data is fed into supercomputers, which are basically computers that are equipped to handle a lot of data very quickly. The supercomputers run models using the data to predict what will happen next. Meteorologists use the weather models and apply their own experience to predict storms and share the information with the public.