Maps

[stormy]

there are all kinds of weather maps. how do u read them?? let take the wind maps, all i see r alot of makes on the map. could someone explain this map to me and if u know how to read other maps, please clue me in. thanks in advance .

[StingRay]

Stormy, can you post a specific link?

[stormy]

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/obswx/maps/700_040806_00.gif
hope this works i am having trouble copying it

[StingRay]

Ok, I'm gonna do this in bits and pieces since I haven't had a met class since last fall. First, let's tackle the blue lines that look like F's or L's. First of all, these lines indicate wind speed. The ones that look like just L's indicate a wind speed of approximately 9-14 mph or 8-12 knots. The ones that look like a half complete capital "F" indicate a wind speed of 15-20 mph or 13-17 knots. Generally half a full line indicated 5 mph, fyi. So, if you have a fully complete capital "F" you have winds around 21-25 mph, and so on. The half lines are called barbs, the full lines are called flags. Now, wherever the flag or barb is, that is the direction the wind is blowing FROM, not TO. Look at the flag at the very bottom of Florida. That wind is blowing FROM the west.

[swmochic]

Wow....girl got skills!!! YOu SOOOO smart

[StingRay]

Nope, I'm sitting here scratching my head trying to remember all of it. I need to do a refresher before my next met class next spring, or I'm gonna look like an idiot.

[StingRay]

Ok, now the lines (GAG). The dark green lines are the isobars. What is an isobar you ask? Well, an isobar is a line connecting points of equal ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE. Now, I may be wrong on this, but the higher up you go, the lower the atmospheric pressure it. Like being on a high mountain and being in "thin air"? Heck, I should just really start at the beginning of my books. Like you couldn't have picked an easy one, could you? LOL!!!!!

[swmochic]

no doubt stormy...that link looks like a kindergardner drew that!

[stormy]

Ok, now the lines (GAG). The dark green lines are the isobars. What is an isobar you ask? Well, an isobar is a line connecting points of equal ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE. Now, I may be wrong on this, but the higher up you go, the lower the atmospheric pressure it. Like being on a high mountain and being in "thin air"? Heck, I should just really start at the beginning of my books. Like you couldn't have picked an easy one, could you? LOL!!!!!
thanks stingray i now understand the F and L. sorry for not having a easier question. the isobars i am not getting and what r the black line, r they also isobars ????
yes chic it does look like a kid did that.

[jeffl]

The wind barbs are given in half is equal to 5kts, whole is equal to 10kts. All speeds are given in kts and you multply by 1.15 to get mph. So two whole lines that look like an F is equal to 20kts. There are no flags on this UA data. A flag (looks like a triangle) resprsents 50kts. So a flag and two full line would be 70kts. Two flags and a half of a line would be 105kts. Yhis data was collected by the roab (upper air soundings) and taken only at our sounding locations. You may want to look at a surface (1000mb) plot and then compare it to local observation that are decoded to help you better understand.

[jeffl]

You are right, pressure decreases with height everywhere with no exceptions. They hammer that in throughout your met classes. Temp. also decreases with height, but there can and often are excpetions with temperature. Increasing temp. with height is known as an inversion or cap. This means temps. are warming through a layer. For an air parcel to rise it must be warmer and less dense than its surroundings. Warm air is lighter than clod air and is buoyant. However, when a rising parcel of warm air encounters a layer of air that is warmer than its own temp., the parcel is then cooler than its surrounding and becomes negatively buoyant. With enough surface forcing, or cooling a parcel can sometimes break through the warm layer and release its built up surface based CAPE. This can result in violent thunderstorms once the capping can be broken. This is one of the unique setups of the central US and is one of the reasons why the US has such a high severe weather and tornado frequency

[stormy]

thank you so much jeffl. so much to learn so little time.