How To Read A Surface Weather Map
Using the various tools available the meteorologist can make a map showing the present weather which also helps him or her to make better judgments on what the weather will be in the future.
How to read a surface weather map. Warm fronts usually move from southwest to northeast. It tells you when the weather map was created and also the time when the weather data in the map is valid. Weather maps as they appear on tv in a newspaper or here are called surface charts or more correctly mean sea level msl charts. On a weather map a warm front is usually drawn using a solid red line with half circles pointing in the direction of the cold air that will be replaced.
But the because the cold air mass is denser the cool less dense air is forced up. On weather maps the surface location of a warm front is marked with a red line of semicircles pointing in the direction of travel. To read air pressure on a surface analysis weather map check for isobars iso equal bar pressure plain curved lines that indicate areas of equal air pressure. A warm front can initially bring some rain followed by clear skies and warm temperatures.
They show what is happening at a set time where most of us need it at the earth s surface. They do not show what is happening at higher levels where the wind flow may be doing something entirely different. Learn how to read a surface weather analysis map. Isobars play a major role in determining the speed and direction of wind.