Exercises/Assignments
Geography 341, Weather and Climate
Exercise 1
Getting Familiar with Some Weather Websites and
Understanding a Weather Map and Station Models
Pod 8 Lindsey Kurtz, Shannon Rose, Mike Lewis, Kaisa
Kough
Note: This assignment can and should be completed as a group in your POD.
Please submit only one document per group via a Pod representative. Where
materials are asked for placement in the Blog, each individual should put that
content in their own blog, with their own content (Example: websites)
See Powerpoint for Figures.
Phase 1
1.
Converting
Temperatures Convert the
temperatures of the following (write equation at least once for each type of
conversion):
1.
32 F to C
C =
(F-32)/1.8
C =
(32-32)/1.8 = 0 C
2.
68 F to C
20 C
3.
90 F to K
K =
(F-32)*(5/9) + 273.15
K =
(90-32)*5/9 + 273.15 = 305.372 K
4.
30 C to F
F =
C*1.8 + 32
F =
30*1.8 + 32 = 22 F
5.
-40 C to F
-40 F
6.
-23 F to C
-30.56 C
7.
-122 C to K
K = C
+ 273.15
K =
-122 + 273.15 = 151.15 K
2.
Weather
Map Symbols:
1.
List the four types of
fronts in the space below:
Cold Front, Warm Front,
Occluded Front, and Stationary Front.
2.
Now find a weather map
for the day (I like the current surface map from weather.com) and paste this
into a software where you can edit the image and export it as a jpeg.
1.
Label all the fronts,
and label where the cold vs. warm air is with each of them.
2.
On that same map,
indicate where the highest winds might be based on the isobars.
3.
Label the High and Low
pressure areas. Note the direction of air associated with these (rotation, wind
direction)
4.
When you are finished,
place the jpeg into the images portion of your blog with a detailed explanation
of the map beneath it as a caption. You do not need to place it in this
document
3.
Air
Masses:
1.
Obtain a blank map of
North America and place all the air masses we discussed on the map. Be sure to
label each one properly and describe the character of the air mass. Then place
this image into your blog with a detailed caption
Surface Data Plot Maps
Before we begin any type
of interpretation of surface maps, we must first become familiar with weather
map notation. This is also helpful for your journal. We already know about
fronts and the like, but the information used to draw them in comes from
observations derived from weather station models. Through the use of a notation
system that is standard on U.S. weather maps, a plethora of
information can be packed onto a single weather map with the use of weather
station models.
1.
Go to the Unisys weather
surface data page. (http://weather.unisys.com/surface) Notice the jumble of information. You can get
an explanation of the symbols at this link:
You
can focus on a region that will not be as cluttered. Go ahead and pick a region
other than the great lakes. Note if you don’t like the black background, click
in the Inv link to the right of where it says Norm on the top row. This will
give you a white background. Place the image into your blog and describe the
weather patterns you see going on. Use your chart for help if needed.
2.
Now do the same thing
for the Great Lakes region
Station Model Symbols
Convert the following
barometric pressures from its long form to abbreviated form, or from
abbreviated to long.
1.
A barometric pressure of
1013.4= 134
2.
A barometric pressure of
1002.4= 024
3.
A barometric pressure of
982.3= 823
4.
A barometric pressure of
995.3= 953
5.
A barometric pressure of
1021.2= 212
6.
Shorthand of 243= 1024.3
7.
Shorthand of 179= 1017.9
8.
Shorthand of 207= 1020.7
9.
Shorthand of 824= 982.4
11.
Shorthand of 839 (Hint:
record high)= 1083.9
12.
Shorthand of 699 (Hint:
record low)= 869.9
13.
How do high and low
pressure barometric pressure values correspond to weather conditions. That is,
under what conditions might one expect to see very high barometer readings? How
about record low?
Under
high barometric pressures there are cooler and calmer weather with clear
skies. Under low barometric pressures
there are warmer weather with precipitation.
Under record low barometric pressures there are hurricanes.
Phase 2
1.
Type in our zipcode.
What is the forecast for the day?’
A slight chance of freezing drizzle before noon. Today will be cloudy with highs near 29. There will be a westward wind of between 5 to 10 mph.
A slight chance of freezing drizzle before noon. Today will be cloudy with highs near 29. There will be a westward wind of between 5 to 10 mph.
2.
Navigate around the site
a bit. Place this link in your blogger links, and then describe the site a bit.
3.
Now put some other links
on this site into your blogger links and describe why like them.
1.
What are some of the
weather news events of the day?
Icey
conditions from Missouri to Michigan will make travel difficult and cause power
outages.
Thunderstorms
are severe in south central U.S.
Unseasonably
cold air in the western U.S. and will stay for the duration of February.
2.
Paste one of the
graphics in your blog and describe what it is explaining.
The
figure shows the uncharacteristically cold temperatures in the western U.S.
1.
Paste on image of the
jet stream into your blog and describe the pattern.
The
pattern of the jet stream is dipping south bringing cold air into the western
U.S. area. Also the jet stream is
pulling moist warm air from the south pacific to the Midwest.
2.
Now look at other maps
that contain surface wind data, temperature data, and general weather
conditions. Do any of those patterns correspond to the jet stream?
Yes
they correspond. The temperature boarder that follows the jet stream with
warmer temperatures in the south and cooler temperatures to the north. Wind
speeds are faster along the path of the jet stream.
1.
What three types of ways
can one view the satellite data?
Infrared,
visible, water vapor
2.
Paste an image of the
Water Vapor Image into your blog and describe the pattern in detail. How does
this relate to any current national conditions?
The
image shows the line of water vapor coming off of the southern pacific and
following the path of the jet stream heading northeast. This water vapor is what is causing the
precipitation and snow events occurring in the Midwest.
Other helpful figures:
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