Lab for Chapter 8 Weather 1 PDF

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Weekly Homework Assignment with Santos...

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Geography 131: Physical Geography-Weather/Climate + Lab Lab #8 (30 Points) Chapter 8: Weather

1. Go on a walk with your friends or spouse and record the following weather conditions (please provide a picture of you outside). You may use data from the National Weather Service at www.weather.com. (10 points) a) Current temperature: 50°F b) Today’s highest temperature: 67°F c) Today’s lowest temperature: 48°F d) Past 24 hours precipitation: none e) Chance of precipitation (rain or snow): 0% f) Humidity: 59% g) Wind speed and direction: SW 4mph h) Barometric pressure: 30.06 in i) Sky condition (types of clouds): clear with few cirrus clouds j) Forecast for the next 48 hours: partly cloudy with temperatures around 50°F

2. Daily weather maps are known as synoptic maps, meaning that they show atmospheric conditions at a specific time and place. The daily weather map is a key analytical tool for meteorologists. Use the adapted version of a synoptic map for a typical April morning, 7:00 A.M, E.S.T. below (a better version can be found at the end of the this lab).

a) Each circle on the map represents a weather station. The number to the upper right of the station is the barometric pressure presented in an abbreviated form used by the National Weather Service. As an example: if a 145 appears, it is short for 1014.5 mb (the “10” and the decimal point are dropped); a 980 is 998.0 mb (the “9” and the decimal point are dropped). On April 1, 1971, the center of low pressure was near Wausau, Wisconsin (see the L on the map), with a pressure of 994.7 mb (947 on the map). Note the wind flags around this center of low pressure. Do the wind flags at the various stations show counterclockwise winds, as you expect in a midlatitude cyclonic circulation system? (2 points) Yes, the wind flags show counterclockwise winds as they are pointed toward the right and the wind is following that circulation system.

b) Describe the pattern of cloudiness across the map. The pattern of cloudiness is indicated by the state-of-the sky (sky coverage) status recorded within each station symbol. The areas of frontal lifting are clearly identified by these patterns of clouds. (3 points) The pattern of cloudiness increases across the midwestern states. The gray coverage is over parts of; Canada, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Western Nebraska. The West Coast has little to no cloud coverage.

c) Boise, Idaho—label the weather conditions you think are occurring. Describe the dominant air mass and relative humidity. (5 points) Over Boise, Idaho it says “high” in which I assume there is a high pressure system. At the weather station it is reported that there is a 336 barometric pressure. High pressure systems are usually associated with clear skies and calm weather. Strong high pressure is associated with cold air mass, which leads me to believe there is low humidity.

d) San Francisco, California—label the weather conditions you think are occurring. Describe the dominant air mass and relative humidity. (5 points) Over San Franciso, California the weather station reports a 230 barometric pressure. The southern portion of the Pacific coast can be influenced by maritime tropical air masses. These warm, moist air masses originate in the subtropical Pacific Ocean. The moist air then creates high humidity.

e) Des Moines, Iowa—label the weather conditions you think are occurring. Describe the dominant air mass and relative humidity. (5 points) There is a low pressure system over Des Moines, Iowa. Typicall the continental polar air mass hovers over the midewest. The air mass is stable and there is little moisture. Therefore, the air is dry and humidity is low....