Weather Maps 8.10B

Weather Maps Air Masses Air moves across Earth’s surface in large chunks called air masses Each air mass is either warm/cold, high/ low pressure, and humid/dry These air masses can change weather depending on their properties Air masses over the U.S.A

Weather Maps Air Masses How do air masses effect weather? Low-Pressure air masses: Warmer, with wet weather High-Pressure air masses: colder, with clear skies

Weather Maps Fronts Fronts: The boundary between two air masses, where weather often changes Three types of fronts: Cold fronts Warm fronts Stationary fronts

Type of weather it brings? Type of Front What happens? Type of weather it brings? Symbol on Map Cold Front 1. Cold, dry air mass collides with a warm moist air mass 2. Cold air is more dense, so it pushes the warm air mass up Strong storms, followed by fair weather, clear skies Blue Triangles, the triangles point in the direction of the moving front

Type of weather it brings? Type of Front What happens? Type of weather it brings? Symbol on Map Cold Front 1. Cold, dry air mass collides with a warm moist air mass 2. Cold air pushes warm air up, warm air mass makes clouds Strong storms, followed by fair weather, clear skies Blue Triangles, the triangles point in the direction of the moving front

Cold Front

Type of weather it brings Type of Front What happens? Type of weather it brings Symbol on Map Warm Front 1. Warm humid air mass pushes against a cold, dry air mass 2. Because warm air is less dense it flow over the cold air mass Overcast (cloudy) skies and rain Red half circles, the half circles point in the direction of the moving front

Warm Front

Type of weather it brings? Type of Front What happens? Type of weather it brings? Symbol on Map Stationary Front A warm and cold front run into each other and do not move Bring a long period of rain until the front is not stuck any more Alternating red half circle and blue triangles

Stationary Front

Weather Tools Weather Map: Map or chart that shows the weather conditions at a specific point in time over a given region Meteorologists: Scientist who studies Earth’s atmospheric conditions and the cause of weather

Weather Tools

Let’s Try To Read a Weather Map Together! What type of weather would you find around Kansas and Colorado where the high pressure symbol is?

Let’s Try To Read a Weather Map Together! Point to the cold front moving across the great plains. What direction is that moving? Which states will be effected by the cold front next?

Let’s Try To Read a Weather Map Together! Find the stationary front? Where is it located on the map? What type of weather would you find there?

Let’s Try To Read a Weather Map Together! California is being effected by a low pressure air mass, what type of weather would they be having?

Let’s Try To Read a Weather Map Together! Point to Washington state. Predict the weather for that location over the next week based on the map’s information.