1. Weather Maps
8.10B

2. 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

3. 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

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

5. 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

6. 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

7. Cold Front

8. 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

9. Warm Front

10. 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

11. Stationary Front

12. 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

13. Weather Tools

14. 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?

15. 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?

16. 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?

17. 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?

18. 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.