Station Models

1. Station Models
• Television weather reports represent weather conditions 
with smiling suns, rainy clouds and flashing bolts of 
lightning. 
•In studying the weather we need to know where it is raining 
and where it is sunny, the wind speed and direction,
humidity, visibility, cloud cover, precipitation, air
pressure, dew point, and temperature. 
•To understand these relationships it is best to represent 
weather variables in a simple graph. 
•Smiling suns do not contain enough information about the 
weather. On the other hand too many numbers drawn on a 
single map presents a confusing picture. 
•Weather conditions observed at a city or town are best 
represented on a map using the station model.

2. Interpreting Weather Station Models
Used to plot a multitude of weather data in a small symbol.

3. Current Surface Analysis

4. Observed Temperature station reporting symbol 
The value highlighted in yellow located in the upper 
left corner (in the diagram above) is the temperature 
in degrees Fahrenheit. In this example, the reported 
temperature is 64 degrees. 
Temperature: 
is defined as a measure of the average kinetic 
energy (or speed) of the molecules in the air. 
1. Temperature

5. The symbol highlighted
in yellow indicates the
current weather
occurring at the time the
observation is taken. In
this case, fog was
reported.
2. Current weather
Common symbols

6. The value highlighted in yellow located in the lower left corner
is the dew point temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. In this
example, the reported dew point temperature is 58 degrees.
Dew points indicate the amount moisture in the air. The higher
the dew points, the higher the moisture content of the air at a
given temperature. Dew point temperature is defined as the
temperature to which the air would have to cool. IT IS NEVER
GREATER THAN THE AIR TEMPERATURE.

3. Dew Point

7. The symbol highlighted in yellow indicates the amount
of cloud cover observed at the time the observation is
taken. In this the case, cloud cover is…
4. Cloud Cover
25%

9. The value highlighted in yellow located in the upper right corner
represents the last three digits of the barometric pressure at sea
level in millibars (mb).
•The highest recorded atmospheric pressure, 108.6 kPa (1086
mb or 32.06 inches of mercury), occurred at Tosontsengel,
Mongolia, 19 December 2001
2
.
•The lowest recorded non-tornadic atmospheric pressure, 87.0
kPa (870 mb or 25.69 inches of mercury), occurred in the
Western Pacific during Typhoon Tip on 12 October 1979
2
. The
record for the Atlantic ocean was 88.2 kPa (882 mb or 26.04
inches of mercury) during Hurricane Wilma on 19 October 2005.
5. Barometric Pressure
*Average sea-level pressure is
1013.25 hPa (mb) or 29.921
inches of mercury (in Hg).
*Average pressure on Earth
ranges between 900 mb and
1040 mb.

10. Barometric Pressure cont…
Interpreting Pressure Reports:
*If reported value is greater than 500: Initial 9 is missing.
Place it on left, then divide by 10.
For example: 827 becomes 982.7 mb.
*If reported value is less than 500: Initial 10 is missing. Place it
on left, then divide by 10.
For example (as in above diagram): 027 becomes 1002.7 mb.

11. The symbol highlighted in yellow is known as a wind
barb. The wind barb indicates wind direction and wind
speed.

6. Wind Speed
& Wind
Direction

12. Wind barbs point in the direction "from" which the
wind is blowing. In the case of the diagram below,
the orientation of the wind barb indicates winds from
the Southeast.

13. Wind speed is given
here in the units of
"knots" (knt). A "Knot"
is a nautical mile per
hour.
1 Knot = 1.15 Miles
Per Hour (MPH)
1 Knot = 1.9
Kilometers Per Hour
(KM/HR)
7. Wind Speed

14. Practice…

16. 20° F
Clear
~25 knots
43° F
1011.7 mb
SW