Lesson Summary
- Weather forecasts are more accurate than ever before. Older instruments and data
collection methods such as radiosondes and weather balloons are still used. - These techniques have now been joined by satellites and computers to create much
more detailed and accurate forecasts. - Still, forecasts are often wrong, particularly those that predict the weather for several
days. - Meteorologists are working hard to improve weather forecasts one to two weeks in
advance of potentially hazardous weather.
Review Questions
- What types of instruments would you expect to find at a weather station and what do
these instruments measure? - How does a thermometer work?
- How could a barometer at a single weather station be used to predict an approaching
storm? - Why are weather balloons important for weather prediction? What information do
they give that isn’t obtainable in other ways? - How does radar work, and what is its value in weather prediction?
- What type of weather satellite is best to use for monitoring hurricanes that may cause
problems in the United States and why? - Imagine that your teacher asks you to predict what the weather will be like tomorrow.
You can go outside, but can’t use a TV or computer. What method will you use? - Imagine that you need to predict tomorrow’s weather and you are allowed to use a
telephone, but no other electronics. Who will you call and what method will you use? - Okay, now you need to predict tomorrow’s weather and you have access to electronics,
butnottoweatherforecasts. Thatis, youcanlookatinformationsuchasweathermaps
and radar images but you cannot look at the interpretations made by a meteorologist.
Now what method are you using? - No rain is in the forecast, but it’s pouring outside. How could the NWP weather
forecast have missed this weather event? - What does it mean to say that weather is a chaotic system? How does this affect the
ability to predict the weather?
Further Reading / Supplemental Links
- National Doppler Radar Siteshttp://radar.weather.gov/
- GoogleEarthVisualizations,Barnabuhttp://www.barnabu.co.uk/global-cloud-animations-update/