Weather Forecasting Directions

A.  Weather and Climate

- Read the "Weather and Climate" article.

- Compare the two maps shown below.  The first map shows elevation in the US.  The second map shows average temperatures in the US.  

The map below shows elevations in the United States.  Click CTR + to zoom in so you can see more closely.  CTR - will allow you to zoom out.  In this map, brown and white are higher elevations while yellow and green are lower elevations.

The map below shows average temperatures in the United States.  Click CTR + to zoom in so you can see the key more closely.  CTR - will allow you to zoom out.  When you are looking at this map, compare it to the elevation map. Do you see a pattern between elevation and temperature? Also, when you look at the temperature map below, do you see a pattern between the latitude and the average temperatures in the US?

- Answer questions #1 and #2 in your packet.

- Click on the "Michigan Plant Hardiness Zone Map".  This map shows the most extreme coldest temperature each location in Michigan experienced in a year. Look at the colors on the Michigan Map. Where are the locations that get the coldest? Where in Michigan are the coldest temperatures the warmest?

- Answer the remaining questions in Section A of your packet.

B. Isobars

- Click on this "Isobars Map." 

- Answer the questions in Section B of your packet.

C.  Current Atmospheric Pressure at Sea Level

- Click on the "Daily Weather Maps" site.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page. Click on the bottom left picture. (It has isobars on it)

IMPORTANT: The map above should be for the current day. If it is not loading the current day, follow these directions instead:

• Go to this map.

• Click "North America" under SURFACE MAPS w/ ISOBARS and/or FRONTS and/or PLOTTED DATA.

- Answer question #1 of Section C.

- Click on this US Satellite Map.

- Answer question #2 and #3 of Section C. 

D. Rainfall

- Click on the "Daily Weather Map – Rainfall" site. Click on the "24-hr Precipitation Totals- Day 1" map.

- Click on the "Daily Weather Maps" site.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page. Click on the bottom left picture. (It has isobars on it)

IMPORTANT: The map above should be for the current day. If it is not loading the current day, follow these directions instead:

• Go to this map.

• Click "North America" under SURFACE MAPS w/ ISOBARS and/or FRONTS and/or PLOTTED DATA.

-Compare the "24-hr Precipitation Totals- Day 1" Map to the Isobar Map (The map from the step above). You might want to look at the maps side by side.

- Answer the questions in Section D of your packet.

E. Satellite Cloud Picture

- Look at the cloud cover and the location of the fronts in this "24 Hour Surface Forecast" map.  What do you notice about where the clouds are in relationship to where the fronts are?

- Answer the question in Section E of your packet. For this question, try to explain the relationship between where the fronts are and where the clouds/precipitation is.

F.  Jet Streams

- Watch the "Jet Stream Goose Video"

- Click on the "Jet Stream Reading Link"

- Answer the questions in Section F of your packet.

G.  Predicting the Weather

- Click on the Current Surface Weather Map.  Notice where the warm and cold fronts are located on the map.

- Click on this Jet Stream Map so that it opens in a new tab.  This map shows the jet stream.  Click the "Play Animation" button. The blue area represents where the jet stream is currently moving in the US. 

- Take some time and toggle back and forth between the Current Surface Weather Map and them.  Try to see if you notice any patterns between where the fronts are and where the jet stream is.

- Answer Question #1 in Section G of your packet.

- Keep the "Jet Stream Map" open in one tab.  In a different tab, click on the "Satellite Cloud Map".  In the "Geo Color" box, click "Animation Loops." The maps in BOTH of these tabs are animated. It is important that they are both animated for you to see the pattern.

- Toggle back and forth between the looping cloud cover map and the surface map. What do you notice when looking where the clouds are in comparison to the location of the jet stream?

- Answer the remainder of the questions in Section G of your packet.