Weather Forecasting Review

1
Weather Forecasting Review

• ATOC 6020
• 24 August 2011

2
Key Weather Elements

• Troughs / ridges
• PVA / NVA
• Jet stream
• Fronts
• Low and high pressure centers

3
Why are these important for forecasting the
weather?

• Rising / sinking motion
• Cloud and precipitation development
• Divergence / convergence
• Forces vertical motion
• Surface pressure
• Temperature advection / air mass change
• Wind shift (frontal)
• Rising motion (frontal)

4
Forecasting Local Weather

• Temperature
• Air mass temperature / CAA / WAA
• Clouds day vs. night
• Winds day vs. night
• Time of year
• Recent precipitation / soil moisture / snow cover
• Local effects on temperature (topography)
• Humidity / fog impacts on temperature

5
Forecasting Local Weather

• Cloud cover
• Moisture
• Rising or sinking motion
• Frontal clouds
• Convective clouds

6
Forecasting Local Weather

• Wind
• Near surface wind and SLP
• Upslope vs. downslope winds
• Topographic effects on winds (wind storms)

7
Forecasting Local Weather

• Precipitation
• Dynamic forcing
• Troughs / ridges / PVA / NVA
• Jet stream
• Fronts
• Low pressure center
• Local forcing
• Topography
• Moisture availability

8
Weather Terms Refresher

• A weather term primer is available on the class
  web page (at the bottom of the Weather Links
  page)
• http//atoc.colorado.edu/cassano/atoc_forecasting
  /weather_primer/weather_primer.htm