How do you read a weather station symbol?
These common weather station symbols represent the current weather conditions. A dot is used for rain and an asterisk for snow, with the number of dots or asterisks indicting to what extent it is happening. For example, 2 dots is light rain, 3 dots is moderate rain, and 4 dots means there is heavy rainfall.
What is the station model and weather symbols?
The station model is a way of showing a lot of weather information on a single map using numbers and symbols. The central symbol tells you wind speed, direction, and cloud cover. The left symbol tells you the current weather.
What information does a station weather plot show?
The station weather plot shows the current weather conditions, cloud cover, wind speed, wind direction, visibility, temperature, dew point temperature, atmospheric pressure, and the change in pressure over the last three hours.
What symbols are used in a station model?
The station model depicts current weather conditions, cloud cover, wind speed, wind direction, visibility, temperature, dew point temperature, atmospheric pressure adjusted to sea level, and the change in pressure over the last three hours.
What are three types of information shown on a station model?
What do wind symbols mean?
The symbol highlighted in yellow (in the diagram above) is known as a “Wind Barb”. The wind barb indicates the wind direction and wind speed. Wind barbs point in the direction “from” which the wind is blowing. On the otherhand, the term “eastward” means that the winds are blowing towards the east.
What does a station model represent?
In meteorology, station models are symbolic illustrations showing the weather occurring at a given reporting station. Meteorologists created the station model to fit a number of weather elements into a small space on weather maps.
How do you interpret a weather map symbol for wind direction?
The symbol highlighted in yellow (in the diagram above) is known as a “Wind Barb”. The wind barb indicates the wind direction and wind speed. Wind barbs point in the direction “from” which the wind is blowing. In the case of the diagram below, the orientation of the wind barb indicates winds from the Northeast.
How is the Wind in a weather station plotted?
A weather symbol is plotted if at the time of observation, there is either precipitation occurring or a condition causing reduced visibility. Wind is plotted in increments of 5 knots (kts), with the outer end of the symbol pointing toward the direction from which the wind is blowing.
When to use a weather symbol in a plot?
Detailed information about items marked with a (*) is provided below. A weather symbol is plotted if at the time of observation, there is either precipitation occurring or a condition causing reduced visibility.
What do the barbs on the weather plots mean?
A combination of long/short barbs and pennants indicate the speed of the wind in station weather plots rounded to the nearest 5 knots. Calm wind is indicated by a large circle drawn around the skycover symbol. One long barb is used to indicate each 10 knots with the short barb representing 5 knots.
What does the sky cover symbol mean on a weather map?
Sky cover symbols are used in station weather plots. The amount that the circle is filled represents the amount of sky that’s covered with clouds. The terminology used to describe cloud coverage — few, scattered, broken, overcast — are also used in weather forecasts.