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Chapter 13: Weather
Forecasting the Weather
It's raining cats and dogs!
Red sky at night, sailor's delight.
These sayings are about the weather. You may check out the weather forecast to decide if a concert will be rained out or if you need to wear a coat to the park. Knowing
what the weather will be like is important. But how do scientists predict or forecast the weather? They collect weather data every day all over the country and try to find a pattern
in the data. Why do they get it wrong sometimes? Let's find out.
Goals
Collect weather data available on the Internet, in newspapers, and on television.
Produce a weather forecast based on the data.
Researching Weather
1.
Print this data table and record data from your area that you collect every day for at least
two weeks.
2.
Your weather data should include temperature, barometric pressure, wind speed, wind direction, amount and type of precipitation, and cloud cover. Be sure to include the
date and your location.
Data Sources
Collect data from these sites as well as from other students around the country. You can use these data to make your own weather
maps. Click on the Interactive map (above) to create your own weather maps using your data. Post your data below.
Predicting the Weather
1.
After you have collected at least two weeks of weather data for your area, it's time to make your forecast.
2.
Using your data, predict what the weather will be like each day for the next week. For each day, make a prediction of the temperature, movement
of fronts, and whether there will be precipitation. Record your predictions on the interactive map. Print the map.
3.
Each day, record what the weather was really like and compare it to your prediction.
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Post Your Data
Conclude and Apply
1.
How close did your predictions come to the actual weather? Were your forecasts for the first few days more accurate than the later days' forecasts?
Explain.
2.
How could you make your predictions more accurate? Would data from other areas help? Explain your answer.
Go Further
Look up weather data from your area for the last ten years. Find out the record high and low temperatures and amounts of
precipitation. How could historical weather data help you make better forecasts?
