How To Read A Synoptic Weather Map

If your weather map has station models each one will plot the temperature dew point wind sea level pressure pressure tendency and ongoing weather with a series of symbols. When the warm front approaches look for rise in the temperatures and moisture.

A Synoptic Chart Explained Features Of A Synoptic Chart Ppt

Chains of mountains distort isobars crossing them.

How to read a synoptic weather map. Temperature is generally recorded in celsius degrees and rainfall is recorded in millimeters. It tells you when the weather map was created and also the time when the weather data in the map is valid. One terrain effect does show up on the weather map.

In the example to the upper right the southern alps buckle the isobars coming in from the tasman sea with a build up of pressure on the windward side and a counter balancing drop of pressure down wind from the mountains. Examples of synoptic charts can seen here. Today s south african weather chart can be seen here.

The warm front is marked on the map with red line with red semicircles cuss pointing the direction the front is moving. With the atmosphere trying to balance temperature pressure and wind there are different sorts of air. A synoptic weather map is a weather chart reflecting the state of the atmosphere over a large area at a given moment.

Temperature dew point temperature cloud cover wind direction wind speed and atmospheric pressure. A dry line marks the boundary between a moist air mass and dry air mass. Also on a synoptic chart are the lines triangles and semi circles representing fronts.

It typically lies north south across the central and southern high plains states during the spring and early summer where it separates moist air from the gulf of mexico to the east and dry desert air from the southwestern states to the west. Read the station models at each point of observation. One of the first coded pieces of data you might notice on a weather map is a 4 digit number followed by the letters z or utc usually found at the map s top or bottom corner this string of numbers and letters is a timestamp.

Student Charts Metlink Weather Climate Teaching