Guided Notes on Weather Analysis

1. Guided Notes on Weather Analysis Chapter 12, Section 4

2. 1. To plot weather data, meteorologists use isopleths, which are lines that connect points of equal or constant values.

3. 2. Lines of equal pressure are called isobars and lines of equal temperature are called isotherms.

4. 3. You can tell how fast the wind are blowing in an area by noticing how closely the isobars are spaced. If they are close together, they indicate a large pressure difference over a small area, which causes strong winds.

5. 4. Digital forecasting is the main method used by modern meteorologists. It is highly dependent upon the density of the data available---the more data, the more accurate the forecast.

6. 5. Analog forecasts involve comparing current weather patterns to patterns that took place in the past. It is useful for conducting monthly or seasonal forecasts, which are based on the past behavior of cyclic weather patterns.

7. 6. All forecasts become less reliable when they attempt to predict long-term changes in the weather. The most accurate and detailed forecasts are short-term in nature.

8. 7. Forecasts in the one- to three-day range are dependent on the behavior of larger surface and upper-level features. At the four- to seven-day range, forecasts must predict changes in the weather based on circulation patterns throughout the troposphere and lower stratosphere.