wikiHow to Read a Weather Map

Precipitation maps tell you where rain and snow are expected. High
pressure (H) areas are dry and tend to form clear skies, while low
pressure (L) areas are humid, cloudy, and sometimes stormy. The
curved, unmarked lines are "isobars," showing areas of equal pressure.
Blue "cold front" lines bring rain and wind in the direction the
triangular marks point. Red "warm front" lines bring brief rain followed
by warming in the direction of the semi-circles. Other symbols can
mark other types of fronts, temperature, and special weather.

Union Budget 2017

Top News
bloombergquint.com/Economic_Survey
A complete breakdown of the
budget with expert opinions
and analysis. Know more!

Part One of Four:

Learning the Basics of Weather Maps
Image titled Read a Weather Map Step 1
Understand general concepts of precipitation. What most
1 people are concerned with is precipitation, which, in
meteorology (the study of weather), is any form of water that falls
onto the Earth's surface. Forms of precipitation include rain, hail,
snow, and sleet.

Image titled Read a Weather Map Step 2

A major aspect of weather interpretation involves being able
2 to understand the actions caused by differences in air
pressure. High pressure implies dry weather and low pressure is
usually associated with humid air-perhaps precipitating.[1]

A high pressure system is an air mass that contains denser air

because its air is cooler and/or dryer than the surrounding air.
Thus, its heavier air falls downward and away from the pressure
system's center -like water being
rise M
poured onto the ground. With
p e!
ur
high pressure systems, the weather will tend to become clear or
S

clearing.
A low pressure system is an air mass that has less dense air
because
wikiHow to...its air is moister and/or warmer. Surrounding air draws
 balloons upward, often causing clouds or precipitation because
that moist air cools as it rises. You see this effect when air's
invisible water vapor is forced to condense into droplets when it
contacts the outside of a cold glass). But droplets won't form if
the glass is only slightly cool ...thus, rising low pressure air will
only produce rain if it gets up where the air is cool enough to
condense the water vapor into droplets too heavy to be kept
aloft by the rising air. (Clouds are simply water droplets that are
small enough to be kept aloft).
With very low pressure systems, storms are on the way (if they
aren't there already) Clouds begin to form and move across the
sky -thunderhead clouds forming when moist air is thrust very
high. Sometimes tornadoes form when very high pressure air
collides with very warm, moist low pressure air.

Image titled Read a Weather Map Step 3

Study a weather map. Watch out for one on the TV news,
3 online, or in your local newspaper. (Other sources may include
magazines and books, but they may not be current.) Newspapers
are a convenient method to find a weather map as they are cheap,
reliable, and can be cut apart so you can carry them with you while
learning to interpret the symbols.[2]

Image titled Read a Weather Map Step 4

Analyze a small portion of your weather map. If possible, find
4 a map covering a smaller area – these can be easier to
interpret. Focusing on a larger scale may be difficult for a beginner.
On the map, notice the location, lines, arrows, patterns, colors, and
numbers. Every sign counts and all are different.
 Advertisement

Part Two of Four:

Reading the Air Pressure
Image titled Read a Weather Map Step 5
Understand what air pressure measures. This is the weight or
1 pressure the air exerts on the ground and is measured in
millibars. It is important to be able to read air pressure because
pressure systems are associated with certain weather patterns.

The average air pressure system measures 1013 mb (29.92

inches of mercury).[3]
A typical strong high pressure system measures around 1030
mb (30.42 inches of mercury).
A typical low pressure system measures around 1000 mb
(29.54 inches of mercury.

Image titled Read a Weather Map Step 6

Learn the air pressure symbols. To read air pressure on a
2 surface analysis weather map, check for isobars (iso = equal,
bar = pressure) – plain, curved lines that indicate areas of equal air
pressure. Isobars play a major role in determining the speed and
direction of wind.[4]

When the isobars form concentric closed (but not always

round) circles, the smallest circle in the center indicates a
pressure center. This can be either a high-pressure system
(depicted by an "H" in English, "A" in Spanish) or a low pressure
system (depicted by an "L" in English, "B" in Spanish).[5]
 them due to the Coriolis effect (Earth spinning). Hence, wind
direction is indicated by the isobars, counterclockwise around
lows (cyclonic flow) and clockwise around highs (anticyclonic)
in the northern hemisphere, thus creating wind. The closer the
isobars are to one another, the stronger the winds.

Image titled Read a Weather Map Step 7

Learn how to interpret a Low Pressure System (Cyclone).
3 These storms are characterized by increased cloudiness, winds,
temperatures, and chance of precipitation. They are represented on
a weather map by isobars that are close together with arrows
traveling clockwise (Southern Hemisphere) or counter-clockwise
(Northern Hemisphere), usually with a "T" in the middle isobar,
which forms a round circle (the letter can vary, however, depending
on the language the weather report is presented in). [6]

Radar imagery can show low-pressure systems. Tropical

cyclones (South Pacific) are also named hurricanes around
America or typhoons in coastal Asia.

Image titled Read a Weather Map Step 8

Learn how to interpret a High Pressure System. These
4 conditions indicate clear, calm weather with reduced chance of
precipitation. Drier air usually results in a greater range of high and
low temperatures.[7]

They are represented on a weather map as isobars with an "H"

in the middle isobar and arrows showing which direction the
wind is flowing (clockwise in Northern Hemisphere, counter-
clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere). Like cyclones, they can
also be shown with radar imagery.
 Advertisement

Part Three of Four:

Interpreting the Types of Fronts
Image titled Read a Weather Map Step 9
Observe the types and movement of fronts. These mark the
1 boundary between warmer air on one side and colder air on the
other. If you are close to a front and you know the front is moving
towards you, you can expect a change in weather (e.g. cloud
formation, precipitation, thunderstorms, and wind) when the front
boundary passes over you. Mountains and large bodies of water can
distort its path. On a weather map, you will notice some lines that
have semi-circles or triangles on either side, or both (shown here).
These indicate the boundaries for various types of fronts. [8]

Image titled Read a Weather Map Step 10

Analyze a Cold front. With these weather patterns, rainfall can
2 be torrential and wind speeds can be high. Blue lines with
triangles on one side represents cold fronts on weather maps. The
direction the triangles point is the direction in which the cold front
is moving.[9]

Image titled Read a Weather Map Step 11

Analyze a Warm front. These often bring a gradual increase in
3 rainfall as the front approaches, followed by prompt clearing
and warming after the front passes. If the warm air mass is
unstable, the weather might be characterized by prolonged
thunderstorms. A red line with semi-circles on one side represents
 direction in which the warm front is heading.[10]

Image titled Read a Weather Map Step 12

Study an Occluded front. These are formed when a cold front
4 overtakes a warm front. They are associated with various
weather events (possibly thunderstorms) depending on whether it
is a warm or cold occlusion. The passing of an occluded front
usually brings drier air (lowered dew point). A purple line with
semi-circles and triangles both on the same side represents
occluded fronts. Whichever side they're on, is the direction the
occluded front is going.[11]

Image titled Read a Weather Map Step 13

Analyze a Stationary front. These indicate a non-moving
5 boundary between two different air masses. These fronts have
long continuous rainy periods that linger for extended periods in
one area and move in waves. A semi-circle bordering one side and
triangles along the opposite side represents that the front is not
moving in any direction.[12]

Advertisement

Part Four of Four:

Interpreting Other Weather Map Symbols
Image titled Read a Weather Map Step 14
Read the station models at each point of observation. If your
1 weather map has station models, each one will plot the
tendency, and ongoing weather with a series of symbols. [13]

Temperature is generally recorded in Celsius degrees and

rainfall is recorded in millimeters. In the US, temperatures are in
Fahrenheit and rainfall is measured in inches.
Cloud cover is indicated by the circle in the middle; the extent
to which it is filled indicates the degree to which the sky is
overcast.

Image titled Read a Weather Map Step 15

Study the lines on the weather map. There are many other
2 lines on weather maps. Two of the most important kinds of lines
indicate isotherms and isotachs.[14]

Isotherms – These are lines on a weather map that connect

points through which the isotherm passes have the same
temperature.
Isotachs – These are lines on a weather map that connect
points where the isotach passes have the same wind speed.

Image titled Read a Weather Map Step 16

Analyze the pressure gradient. A number on the isobars, such
3 as "1008", is the pressure (in millibars) along that line. The
distance between isobars is referred to as the pressure gradient. A
large change in pressure over a short distance (i.e. close isobars)
indicates strong winds.[15]

Image titled Read a Weather Map Step 17

Analyze wind strength. Wind barbs point in the direction of the
4 wind. Lines or triangles coming off the main line at an angle
indicate wind strength: 50 knots for every triangle, 10 knots for
every full line, 5 knots for every half line.[16]
 Advertisement

Community Q&A

What point do weather forecasts use for wind direction?

Answered by wikiHow Contributor

Wind direction is indicated by the direction from which it originates. For

example, a southerly wind blows from the south to the north.

19 3

What do the white lines mean on the weather map?

Answered by wikiHow Contributor

The white lines indicate isobars. The closer together they are, the stronger
the wind will be.

16 5
How do I determine the wind speed if it is not given?

Answered by wikiHow Contributor

Wind speed is usually listed in knots. 1 Knot = 1.15 Miles Per Hour (MPH),
so you can determine the wind speed yourself with this equation.

17 6

What is meant by the term isobar?

Answered by wikiHow Contributor

The term isobar is a line of equal or constant pressure on a graph, plot, or

map; an isopleth or contour line of pressure.

12 7

What is the difference between Fahrenheit and Celsius?

Answered by wikiHow Contributor

The difference is one of scale. For Celsius, the ice and steam points of water
are 100 Celsius degrees. The two scales coincide at -40 degrees (thus
-40ºF and -40ºC are the same).

10 6

What purple combination of semicircles and triangles on a line on a map

Answer

Show more unanswered questions

Ask a Question

Your question here

Submit
Tips

Isobars can be bent or kinked by high landmarks such as

mountains.
1 Helpful? 0

Don't be put off by the apparent complexity of reading a weather

map. Reading these is a valuable skill not to be reckoned with.
1 Helpful? 0

If you are further interested in weather systems and features, you

might like to consider joining a local meteorological society.
1 Helpful? 0

Weather maps can be based on satellite and radar images,

recordings from instruments at weather stations, and computer
analysis.
1 Helpful? 0

Fronts most often come from the center of depressions.

1 Helpful? 1

Know a good tip? Add it. Add

Related wikiHows

How to Read Wind Barbs

How to Make a Simple Weather Barometer

How to Read an Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR)

How to Calculate the Distance from Lightning

How to Read and Speak Like a TV News Reporter

How to Convert Isometric Strength to Isotonic Strength

How to Use 1Weather

 How to Predict the Weather Without a Forecast

How to Set a Barometer

How to Make a Wind Vane

Advertisement

About this wikiHow

Co-authors: 94
Updated: 7 weeks ago
852 reviews
Views: 633,385
Sources and Attribution

Did this article help you?

Yes No