Interpreting Weather Charts An Informal Introduction

John Kinsella February 18, 2000

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Aims of this talk

Show how to read information from weather charts. Show how to predict short-term weather changes with reasonable condence.

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Structure of Talk
Theory as little as possible! Examples of how it all works.

Interpreting some real Weather Charts.

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 Weather Chart Isobars Coriolis Effect Depressions Highs Fronts

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Basic Ideas

Actual Weather ChartBrace Yourself!

Figure 1: Actual Chart for 10 Feb. 00

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 The outline of the landmasses (islands, continents, etc. ) Lines of Latitude & Longitude Isobars Lows Highs Fronts

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A weather chart usually shows:

Isobars
These are lines joining points at a given height (say sea-level) which have the same air pressure. Air pressure: weight of air Low Pressure High Pressure Air is: Air is:

Low pressure High pressure

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Visualise isobars as contours on an O.S. map or sea chart Corresponds to Valleys Corresponds to Mountains

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Warm Cold Light Heavy
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Rising

Falling

Isobar Chart

Figure 2: Isobar Forecast Chart for 12 Feb. 00

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Isobar Chart

Figure 3: Isobar Forecast Chart for 13 Feb. 00

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Isobar Chart

Figure 4: Isobar Forecast Chart for 14 Feb. 00

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Isobar Chart

Figure 5: Isobar Forecast Chart for 15 Feb. 00

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Coriolis Effect

Figure 6: Coriolis Effect Air Masses are Deected to the Right

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Coriolis Effect
As it is carried along by the spinning Earth

. . . and air at Equator has further to go in the same time. Air further North is moving W E more and more slowly As body of air moves N it is moving faster W E than air at its latitude. So (warm) air moving N veers to the right Air (cold) moving S also veers right for same reason.

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Air at Equator is moving W E fast

Coriolis EffectLows
Following the Mountain/Valley analogy: air should fall in towards the centre of a Low air should fall out from the centre of a High In both cases at right angles to the isobars . . .

just as a climber anxious to get down hill fast heads at right angles to the contours BUT

so moves anti-clockwise round the Low along the isobars. Due to the Coriolis Effect, air falling out from a High veers right and so moves clockwise round the High along the isobars.
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Due to the Coriolis Effect, air falling in to a Low veers right and

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Figure 7: An Imaginary Low
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Rules of Thumb

With your back to the wind: A Low is to your Left Buys Ballots law. The wind direction is: ANTICLOCKWISE round a CLOCKWISE round an CYCLONE (Depresssion/Low) ANTI-CYCLONE (High)

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 In fact, the wind direction for a Low is about 15 (at sea) in towards the centre from the isobar direction (about 30 over land). For a High, the wind direction is the same deection out from the centre with respect to the isobar direction.

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Boring Details
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Wind Speed
So far we have talked only about wind direction. Remembering the correspondance between isobars and contours on a map: Closely packed isobars rapid pressure change rapid change in height strong winds steep slopes

Closely packed contours and of course:

Loosely packed contours

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Loosely packed isobars

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slow pressure change slow change in height

light winds gentle slopes

Lows on the Go
Depressions typically track W E/NE at 3060 kts. The direction of a weather system depends on the winds in the upper atmosphere. These are not usually shown on a weather chart May be inferred from cirrus cloud movemnets see next weeks talk. Depressions with tightly packed isobars typically move faster. Bad news travels fast. If a Low deepens, it tends to slow down. The Fastnet Race is an example as the Low became more intense, it slowed down and the local weather worsened.

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Fronts
A FRONT is a transition zone between two air masses of different density (& temperature).

Fronts extend not only horizontally, but vertically as well see picture.
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Figure 8: A Cold Front arrives

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Warm Fronts

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Figure 9: Warm Front

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Warm Fronts
A warm front is dened as the transition zone where a warm air mass is replacing a cold air mass. Warm fronts generally move from southwest to northeast and the air behind a warm front is warmer and more moist than the air ahead of it. When a warm front passes through, the air becomes noticeably warmer and wetter. Symbolically, a warm front is represented by a solid line with semicircles pointing towards the colder air and in the direction of movement. On colored weather maps, a warm front is drawn with a solid red line.

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Cold Fronts

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Figure 10: Cold Front
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Cold Fronts
A cold front is dened as the transition zone where a cold air mass is replacing a warmer air mass. Cold fronts generally move from northwest to southeast. The air behind a cold front is noticeably colder and drier than the air ahead of it. When a cold front passes through, temperatures can drop more than 5 C within the rst hour. Symbolically, a cold front is represented by a solid line with triangles along the front pointing towards the warmer air and in the direction of movement. On colored weather maps, a cold front is drawn with a solid blue line.

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Figure 11: A More Realistic Example

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What does an observer see as a Low tracks ENE with its centre N of a yacht at A?
Initially wind is moderate Southerly. Wind strengthens Overcast increases Rain begins. Wind veers (clockwise change) to SW as Warm front passes over. Gusty conditions associated with wind shift.

Overcast, rain, poor visibility but warmer in Warm sector. Wind veers NW as Cold Front passes over.

Overcast clears as Cold front passes fresh weather, cotton-wool (cumulus) clouds more next week :-) Winds drop as Low recedes.
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Heavy squalls associated with wind shift temperatures drop noticeably often squally showers.

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What does an observer see as a Low tracks ENE with its centre passing over a yacht at B?
Initially wind is light SE. Wind strengthens and cloud cover increases as Low approaches. Wind direction still SE.

As eye passes over, winds slacken then become light and variable in direction. Wind veers to NW.

Temperatures drop as we are now in Cold sector. Wind strengthens. Overcast clears. Winds drop as Low recedes.
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What does an observer see as a Low tracks ENE with its centre passing S of a yacht at C?
Initially wind is light Southerly. Wind strengthens. Wind backs SE. Wind backs E. Wind backs NE. Wind backs N.

Wind backs NW.

Winds drop as Low recedes.

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 Case A is more common as Lows tend to move NE and so pass N of us. Homework: What changes in barometer reading will be observed at the three locations?

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Comments
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8 February 2000Weather Chart

Figure 12: Atlantic Situation8 Feb. 00

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Figure 13: Details8 Feb. 00
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10 February 2000Weather Chart

Figure 14: Atlantic Situation10 Feb. 00

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Figure 15: Details10 Feb. 00

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