Station Model Lab Answer Key

Name ___________________________ Station Model Lab
Period _____ Date _________________
At commercial airports throughout to every weather station in the US.

the country the weather is observed, Because of the lack of space on weather
measured and recorded. In New York maps, the weather information needs to
State alone there are over a dozen be coded. In order to do this the
observation sites. These stations record: information needs to be highly organized
temperature, dew point, cloud cover, and standard throughout country. By
visibility, height of cloud base, amount of using station models the data can be
precipitation, wind speed and wind represented by a symbol or number, and
direction to name a few. The it’s meaning is easily understood by where
measurements made every hour at every the symbol or number is placed on the
station around the world. This is a very station model.
large amount of data, which can be very Through this lab you will learn to
useful in predicting the weather. understand station models used in
The challenge is that a large meteorology by coding and decoding a
amount of data needs to be communicated variety of stations.
WEATHER MAP INFORMATION

STATION MODEL
Temperature (°F) Amount of cloud cover Barometric

(approximately 3/4 covered) Pressure (1011.2 mb)
Precipitation
Type 31 112 Barometer Trend (a
increasing 1.2 mb rise
Visibility (mi)
½ ** +12 in the past 3 hours)
26 .25
Dew Point (°F) Precipitation
(inches in the past 6hrs)
Wind Direction
From the Southwest
Wind speed
Whole feather =10 knots
Half feather = 5 knots
Total = 15 knots
Station Model Lab -1- ©HGB 3/27/2000

Procedures
Air Pressure: when coding air pressure on a station model, use the following rule:
a. if the air pressure on the station model is 500 or more, place a 9 in front of this number. Also
put a decimal point in front of the last number EX: 588-- 958.8 millibars
b. if the air pressure number on the station model is less than 500 add a 10 in front of the
number. Also put a decimal point in front of the last number EX: 091=1009.1 millibars
Past Pressure: When calculating the air pressure for three hours previous use the following
rule:
a. if the station model displays a + some number there was an increase in the barometric
pressure. Place a decimal between the 2 digits and subtract the number from the current air
pressure to get the pressure from 3 hours ago. EX +12= 1.2 mb increase so the past
pressure is lower by 1.2 mb.
b. if the station model displays a - some number the was an decrease in the barometric
pressure. Place a decimal between the 2 digits and add the number to the current air
pressure to get the pressure from 3 hours ago. EX -24= 2.4 mb decrease so the past
pressure is higher by 1.2 mb.
c.
Temperature and Dew point: Are always reported in degrees Fahrenheit (°F) these may need
to be converted to degrees Celsius (°C) using the ESRT
Wind direction is measured by where the wind originates. The stick of the station models points
in the direction of where the wind comes from. The flags on the stick approximate the speed of
the wind, a short flag: 5 knots, a long flag 10 knots and triangle is 50 knots. A knot equals
1.85km/hr or 1.2 mph
Cloud cover is determined by how much of the visible sky is filled with clouds. It is usually done
in estimates of 10th’s. AN obstructed view is when the observer, for some reason, could not see
the sky… like at night.
Cloud Cover Symbols
Clear 1/10 1/4 4/10 1/2 6/10 3/4 9/10 Overcast Obstructed
Sky Cover Cover Cover Cover Cover Cover Cover Sky View
Precipitation may fall to the earth in many different forms. The form is indicated by a symbol
shown below. The water equivalent (the water or melted form of the precipitation) for the last
three hours is reported in the station model using inches.
Precipitation Symbols:
* ,
Rain Showers Hail Snow Drizzle Sleet Fog Thunderstorm

Part 1
Using the station models below, decode the weather conditions and record the
information displayed in the following table:
Station 1 Station 2
65 998 84 011
= -30 +01
64 0.2 60
Station 3 Station 4
40 001 70 982
, +10 • -93
38 1.5 65 0.3
Station 5
28 012
* -22
25
Weather Element Station 1 Station 2 Station 3 Station 4 Station 5
Temperature (°C)
Temperature (°F)
Barometric
Pressure (mb)
Precipitation
Type
Percent of Sky
covered by
clouds
Wind Direction
Wind Speed
(Knots)
The pressure three

Hours ago? (nb)

Part 2:
In the chart below, you find meteorological data that was taken at several
different New York State airports. Use this data to create station models for each city
listed in the table.
Temp De w Wind Present

City Air Press. Sky
°F point Direction Speed Weather
Rochester 69 58 SW 16 1016.9 50% none
Buffalo 60 45 NE 5 1030.1 10% none
Syracuse 70 69 SW 20 998.2 25% drizzle

thunder
New York 72 72 W 30 986.4 100%
Storm
Binghamton 71 69 NW 35 999.1 90% sleet
Albany 32 32 S 10 1000.0 overcast snow
Rochester Buffalo
Syracuse New York
Binghamton Albany

Conclusion:
Study the weather stations shown to the right Write the letter (or letters) of the weather
station(s) next to each description of weather conditions.
a. Wind NW at 40 miles per hour : _________________

b. Wind SE at 15 miles per hour : _________________
c. Overcast : _________________
d. Clear sky : _________________
e. Thunderstorm: _________________
f. Closest to the warm front : _________________
g. Closest to the cold front : _________________
Shade the area of the mT air mass in the diagram below:

Matching Questions
On the blank line, write the letter of the item in Column B that is most closely related to the item
in column A.
Column A Column B
______1. Large sections of troposphere with a. warm front
same temperature and humidity b. winter storm
______2. Boundary between two air masses not c. occluded front
moving in relation to each other. d. hurricane
______3. Warm air mass overtakes cold air mass e. stationary front
______4. Cold air mass overtakes warm air mass f. cold front
______5. Brief local storm with thunder and lightning g. air mass
______6. Severe, narrow storm with fast, swirling winds h. tornado
______7. Large, tropical cyclone with heavy rains and winds i. thunderstorm
______8. severe storm with precipitation of snow and ice

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Name ___________________________ Station Model Lab

Period _____ Date _________________

At commercial airports throughout to every weather station in the US.

WEATHER MAP INFORMATION

Temperature (°F) Amount of cloud cover Barometric

Station Model Lab -1- ©HGB 3/27/2000

Cloud Cover Symbols

Station Model Lab -2- ©HGB 3/27/2000

Weather Element Station 1 Station 2 Station 3 Station 4 Station 5

The pressure three

Station Model Lab -3- ©HGB 3/27/2000

Temp De w Wind Present

Rochester 69 58 SW 16 1016.9 50% none

Buffalo 60 45 NE 5 1030.1 10% none

Syracuse 70 69 SW 20 998.2 25% drizzle

Albany 32 32 S 10 1000.0 overcast snow

Syracuse New York

Station Model Lab -4- ©HGB 3/27/2000

a. Wind NW at 40 miles per hour : _________________

Station Model Lab -5- ©HGB 3/27/2000

Station Model Lab -6- ©HGB 3/27/2000

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