meteorology classroom 'room'

[Jonathan Whitehead]

I have a suggestion for the ST forum.
How bout a room devoted to nothing but meteorology classroom discussion in a homework help type fashion. I know most people on this site arent meteorologist but for the few that are it would be a great public service to those that are taking classes to become one.

 

[Danny Neal]

Love the idea. I feel kind of intimidated sometimes asking higher level(experience and schooling-wise) basic questions that may come as a walk in the park to them. It would be awesome to have a room where you can just go for it. I know weather and chasing is sort of that whole area, but sometime it leads into off-topic discussions. Although I am sure it will if we create another area as well. It is a great idea, and I would be all for it.

 

[Tim Vasquez]

Well, there's no reason this can't be discussed in Weather & Chasing... there's a lot of people that would flock to help out on the simplest topics. Can you just put "Dumb Question" or "Newbie Question" in the subject line? I have a recollection of trying a dedicated forum a couple of years ago but it didn't get enough use. If anyone gives you crap about posting a simple question, rest assured it's not cool with me... ST is not so much a social club as it is a place to share knowledge.

Tim

 

[Doug Lee]

ST is not so much a social club as it is a place to share knowledge.

Tim

That's one of the major reasons I come here, to learn. I figure if I read enough forecasts, nowcasts, reports and discussions, some of that terminology will stick in my head and I will eventually come to learn how all the details of storm development come together. Until I can afford Tim's book, this is one of the best resources available.

WB, Mr. T! I wish more people would remember what you said.

 

[Willie Dines]

I'm beginning to think that I'm better off just learning as I go along, by reading the many various postings on here, in the various rooms , after all, we're all here to live and learn, as well as to enjoy the social side of chasing

Willie

 

[Robert Dewey]

Well, there's no reason this can't be discussed in Weather & Chasing... there's a lot of people that would flock to help out on the simplest topics. Can you just put "Dumb Question" or "Newbie Question" in the subject line? I have a recollection of trying a dedicated forum a couple of years ago but it didn't get enough use. If anyone gives you crap about posting a simple question, rest assured it's not cool with me... ST is not so much a social club as it is a place to share knowledge.

Tim

Hmm, I kind of enjoyed the old QA/FAQ forum. It might not have had a lot of use, but the quality definitely made up for it IMO.

 

[James Siler]

I would very much be interested as well. As I have a genral understanding of weather and the do's and don't when it's happeneing. But forecasting. Don't know how, don't understand and I think I as well as others would greatly benifit from it.

 

[Glen Romine]

I recall the old FAQ forum. Agree, it saw little use, and while the original idea was good, to avoid repetitive threads on the same topic cropping up time and again, it seemed very few users would actually use the archive to see if something was already discussed, and would just post away anyhow. So, might as well just have that continue in W&C, and for the few genuinely interested in learning more on topic, perhaps a ST front page article could be added that discusses how to use the forum 'search' feature to look up information on topics. A considerable body of information is buried within the ST site.

 

[MatthewCarman]

I think a complete and detailed weather guide for begginers and experts would be nice here at ST aswell as a forecasting guide. Alot of people come here to learn like I did and this would be a great way to learn. Sure I can go to other sites to get this info but we have alot of people here who know alot about the weather who may be willing to do this. Tim the almanac needs to be updated aswell. Just a suggestion.

 

[Forrest lambert]

wheres a good college around to study weather?

 

[Eric Flescher]

Good idea indeed

That would be good indeed. I think what might be good as I was just starting, are scenario real life weather and tornado storms using the examples, satellite and other shots to visualize the information. Also highlight the use of the various websites for the informational data.

Possibly a detailed outline to start filling in such a guide would be a way to start?


:::

I think a complete and detailed weather guide for begginers and experts would be nice here at ST aswell as a forecasting guide. Alot of people come here to learn like I did and this would be a great way to learn. Sure I can go to other sites to get this info but we have alot of people here who know alot about the weather who may be willing to do this. Tim the almanac needs to be updated aswell. Just a suggestion.

 

[MatthewCarman]

Yeah that sounds like the way to start. I did start on one by reading books and online sites and starting with the basics but did not get very far. Here is what I had so far and yes it is similar to the beggining of a weather book I own but not the same as I changed things around and edit it and plus I typed this all up by myself. If anyone would like to use it go ahead.

What is Weather?
Weather is a common ingredient in our every day lives yet for most people it is more mysterious than many other
aspects of nature. Weather is the instantaneous and constantly changing state of the atmosphere. The weather
affects everyone. For example the weather determines if a region is in a long term drought or has lot's of flooding
and weather also determines how much rain or how little rain a region gets. Knowledge of the forces and phenomina involved
in the weather can help the average person get a better understanding. This wiki is here to help you get a detailed list
of different weather phenomina and information aswell as a idea of how the weather works.

Large-Scale Airflow Patterns:
Earth's Atmosphere is driven into motion by the uneven heating of our planet by the sun. Now because the sun passes nearly
overhead at noon in the tropics the ground and air recieve much more solar heat then the polar regions where the sun is at
a lower angle thus spreads the available sunlight over much larger areas. Heated tropical air rises and spreads outward
towards the north and south poles, while the cold polar air sinks and flows towards the equater in the lower levels of the
Atmosphere. The airflow is called the "Hadley Circulation", after the englishmen who proposed the concept in 1735.
The complex pattern of winds we actually see is the Coriolis Effect which is the result of the Earth's roatation.
By the time the Coriolis effect reaches 20-30* N (and S) lattitude, the speed difference becomes so great that the
air no longer flows towards the poles but is deflected Eastward into the subtropical jet-stream, one of the strongest
and most consistent winds of the world. The Coriolis effect deflects all moving air on Earth to some degree. It is also
responsible for the spiral motions found in Hurricanes,Tornadoes and other Storms. The patterns and currents change
as the time of year or seasons change.
The westerlies is air that circles the globe at mid lattitudes and bows and bends thousunds of miles long.
The prevailing westerlies is winds blowing from the west. There is also the trade-wind easterlies and Artic easterlies.
Now the wind comes from the east.
Highs and Lows:
Embedded in the braod stream of the prevailing westerlies, smaller whirls and eddies push east and are responsible for
most of our weather. these whirls are the high and low pressure systes also known as cyclones and anticyclones or lows and highs.
Cyclones turn counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere while they turn clock wise in anticyclones in the southern hemishere
. Example most of Japan's tornadoes move clock wise while in the US most tornadoes move counter clockwise. These lows and highs
bring fair and foul weather with them. Cyclones are centers of low barometric pressure while anticyclones have high pressure. This is
for both hemispheres. Low pressure is from surrounding areas of higher pressure. Putting all of these motions
together, the air spirals outward from the center of a high pressure cyclone and inward for a low pressure cyclone.
Cyclones can be a small whirlwind or dust devil or a huge region of low pressure covering sometimes half a continent.
Cyclones almost always form on a boundary known as a front between artic air to the north and sub tropical air to the south.
With 4 basic kinds of fronts, and a boundary between opposing air masses may lie still for awhile before a cyclone develops.
If the air on the arm side of the front is moist then slow-moving thunderstorms may develop bringing heavy rain and floods but
these stationary front are usually fairly tranquil places with patches of light rain or snow resulting in drizzly weather.
As the cyclone starts spinning the stationary front starts moving. Northbound warm air marks a warm front usually on the east side of a stom center
while west of the center southbound cold air marks a cold front with artic air plunging south behind the cold front.
Along cold fronts heavier cold air shoves like a wedge beneath warm and usually moist air. This can cause the warm air to
force upward and cool making it's moisture condenses into clouds,rain and snow. The forced uplifing is often great enough that it results in
heavy showers and thunderstorms. Warmfronts overruns the cold air with a more gentler rising motion producing more moderate but longer lasting
rain and snowfalls. Ocludded fronts are cold and warm air mixing together. The warm sector, a wedge of warm air caught
between the two fronts shrinks. Allthought the warm sector is lifted off the ground for thousunds of miles it can still produce
rain and snow.
The cyclones departure brings clearing and cooler weather as the anticyclone or high bring in several days of nice dry weather.
As the anticyclone passes overhead or moves east winds turn southerly in advance to the next cyclone.

 

[Jonathan Whitehead]

Or just go to http://mensch.org/3113 for in depth and, might I also add, rigorous analysis of a college level intro course to atmospheric dynamics.

 

[Forrest lambert]

Does anyone know of a good college that i can go for Meteorology to work for the weather service or somthing? please email me with details!

 

[Patrick Martin]

This thread from last week in weather and chasing should help.
http://www.stormtrack.org/forum/showthread.php?t=13954