Weather Station & Forecast Lab

Weather stations measure four main variables every day:

• Temperature (°F). How warm or cool the air is. A thermometer measures temperature in degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius.
• Cloud Cover (%). How much of the sky is covered by clouds. A clear sky is 0%, a fully overcast sky is 100%.
• Precipitation (mm). Any water that falls from clouds, including rain. Measured in millimeters using a rain gauge.
• Wind Speed (mph). How fast the air is moving. Measured by an anemometer in miles per hour.

Scientists look for patterns in weather data to make forecasts. Two patterns you will find in this lab:

• Cloud cover before rain. When cloud cover rises above 70%, rain often follows the next day. Clouds hold water droplets that eventually fall as precipitation.
• Temperature drops before rain. Cold air masses bring clouds and rain. As a cold front arrives, temperatures often drop 5-10 degrees before the rain begins.

Real weather scientists collect data every single day, sometimes every hour. Recording data in a table makes it easy to:

1. See how values change over time.
2. Calculate averages and ranges to summarize the week.
3. Spot patterns that repeat, such as rising clouds before rain.
4. Make predictions for future days based on what you observed.

The temperature line chart in this lab is the same kind of graph weather forecasters use. The slope of the line tells you whether it is warming up or cooling down.

This lab connects to the Next Generation Science Standards for grades 2-5:

• 3-ESS2-1. Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.
• 3-ESS2-2. Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world.
• 2-ESS2-3. Obtain information to identify where water is found on Earth and that it can be solid or liquid.

By observing instruments, recording data, finding patterns, and making forecasts, you are practicing the same science skills real meteorologists use every day.