Synoptic Maps - Coursework Example

I’ve chosen this particular place (Steamboat Springs, Colorado) and time (28-30 July 2014) for my project because of some reasons. First of all, looking at synoptic maps at the University of Wyoming weather site, I’ve noticed, that not for all three consecutive days there is full information time in time. I’ve chosen ones, which had synoptic maps for the same time of the day. (You can see pictures below). Then I was trying to find out, where there were more different synoptic signs gathered. So I’ve chosen a high corner of Colorado State – Steamboat Springs, because of all the yellow, red, and blue marks on this piece of the map. They were different fronts changing each other on this territory over three days. As fronts are boundaries between air masses with different temperatures and can also differ in content, I thought interesting weather changes could happen there. I also checked temperature changes and weather history at the other site (www.wunderground.com).

As I said, on synoptic maps we can see different marks on chosen places during three chosen days. There is a mark L – Low, - Cyclone 28th of July 2014. Near L’s usually are strong winds, which can change weather and bring clouds and precipitation. Also, there is a yellow front line. 29th of July 2014 we can see a different front – a blue one, - there. Also, Cyclone had changed coordinately. Last day it was L – Low, this day it’s H – for High. Winds blow clockwise here. It’s an anticyclone, so clouds should be gone and the weather could be fine (Calvert, J. B). 30th of July anticyclone is moving East. Also, the yellow marks for the fronts are back. So clearly, these three days had been not the most boring ones.

Let’s now have a look at the data and what the graphs show.

28th of July. The temperature wasn’t very stable. It was the highest about 6 AM – 83-84F and all morning it was pretty warm. The temperature was lowing ‘till noon and at about 7 PM was 53-54F. So it’s a 30F per day change.

The dew point this day was more or less stable, though lowed to 37F at about 6 AM (about that time, when the temperature was the highest). In the evening it was stable – 56-57F, though the temperature was the lowest.

Looking at the PH graph, we see that it changes a lot. Again with the highest temperature at about 6 AM, it was low – a little bit more, than 20%, and in the evening – about 80% while the temperature was the lowest. So I suppose it was raining in Steamboat Springs because as we also knew from the synoptic map, there was a cyclone that day.

29th of July. The temperature was pretty normal, more stable than the day before, though lowed step by step ‘till evening, but that’s a usual thing.

So was a dew point, not changing unexpectedly during the day – about 50F.

But RH jumped. Again, it was the lowest at about 5 AM (30%) and had reached the mark of 80% in the evening. As we remember, it was the day anticyclone came, so maybe it was raining again a bit because of this change.

30th of July. Air became a little bit colder, but still not as the first day – about 57-58F at noon.

The dew point was pretty stable – about 55F too.

RH was the highest of all days. It was almost 100% in the second half of the day. Anticyclone was passing to the East and a new front was appearing, so I think it was raining a lot.

To sum I can say with high probability, that chosen three days passed with rain every day.