Lab exercise:

This exercise should give you some hands-on experience with weather map analyses. This is the NOAA surface map from August 27, 2004 1700Z. Shown are simplified symbols for a number of surface weather stations in the U.S. and southern Canada. Temperature in Fahrenheit is plotted in red, sea level pressure in hPa is plotted in orange, dewpoint in Fahrenheit is plotted in green. See here for further explanation of the station symbols. Please print the map (in landscape) and analyze (draw in) the following:

a. Analyze isotherms (lines of constant temperature) with a red pencil at intervals of 10 F (e.g., 40, 50, 60 F, etc.). Remember to label the isotherms.

b. Analyze isobars (lines of constant pressure) with a black pencil at intervals of 4 hPa (e.g., 1000, 1004, 1008 hPa etc.). Remember to label the isobars. Mark the locations of highest and lowest pressures. Note that only the last three digits of sea level pressure are plotted on the map (e.g., 237 = 1023.7). Mark the centers of low and high pressure.

If needed print extra maps for practice.

Solutions