Best Weather Internet Resources

Introduction

Weather can be described as the daily outdoor conditions in a particular place, this is different from the climate of an are that is observed over an extended period of time in a single location. Many elements go into explaining, describing, and predicting the weather. Meteorologists track storms and weather fronts using satellite and radar maps. Forces, such as El Nino, global warming, and atmospheric changes all contribute to our weather patterns. Climate history over a period of time is used to assess upcoming weather conditions. With the availability of so many weather resources on the Internet, many amateur weathermen feel that they could easily do the job of their local meteorologist. However, understanding all of the technical and scientific information that goes into explaining and predicting our weather takes years of study and education in meteorology.

Informational Resources

The Earth's atmosphere is a complex layer of gases that helps to prevent excess radiation from reaching the Earth. Weather is the state of the atmosphere on any given day. It is assessed as being hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy. Climate describes the weather of a particular place over a period of time. Various types of climates exist, including tropical, polar, and dry.

• El Nino: Hot Air Over Hot Water - Sponsored by the Franklin Institute, this website presents background information about the El Nino effect. It also offers an experiment the user can easily perform to demonstrate the El Nino effect.

• Resources in Atmospheric Sciences - This site by the University of Wyoming presents articles on climate and weather, offers links to sites having to do with climate and weather, and lists sites where real-time weather data can be found.

• Radiative Forcing Explained - Produced by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, this website explains how radiative forcing works to influence the greenhouse effect and affect climate change globally.

• Introduction to Weather - This site by the University of Denver offers a history and introduction to the topic of weather. It also includes links to articles on cloud watching, atmospheric radiation and atmospheric turbulence.

• Teacher's Guide to Climate Change and Global Warming - Presented by the Center for Integrated Study of the Human Dimensions of Global Change, this site offers basic information on global warming directed at teachers of K-12 students.

• Extreme Weather Sourcebook - Produced by the Societal Impacts Program of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, this website offers data on hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and other forms of extreme weather across the United States. Data includes the economic impacts of these disasters as well as their societal impacts.

• Global Warming and Extreme Weather - Sponsored by the Environmental Defense Fund, this site offers information on how extreme weather, such as floods, wild fires, hurricanes and droughts, affect global warming.

• Origins of Extreme Weather - This website offers a tutorial on the origins of extreme weather, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, and cyclones.

• Weather Maps - This website by the University of Richmond explains how to read common weather maps. Symbols, keys, and fronts are described.

• The Seasons - Produced by the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, this website explains the causes of the seasons of the year. It also describes differences between seasons in the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.

• Reasons for the Seasons - This site by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee explains, using illustrations of the sun and the earth's rotation, how the seasons occur.

• Climate/Weather Terms Glossary - Produced by DRI Science, this website offers a vast glossary of terms relating to weather and climate.

• What is Drought? - This article by the National Drought Mitigation Center explains the concept of drought in easily understandable language. Causes of drought, predictions about drought, and climatology are all examined.

• World Climates - This site explains the various climates found around the world. It describes the K ö ppen Climate Classification System.

Meteorology & Weather Forecasting

Weather was once predicted simply by looking outside and observing the wind and the air. Today, meteorologists have many tools at their disposal to help them predict weather. Computer models, satellite imagery, radar maps, and observation all contribute to predicting the weather. Some meteorologists study air quality, while others study how climates vary and change over time.

• Weather or Not? - This site by the Center for Educational Technologies presents basic information about predicting and monitoring weather. Satellite imagery, real time data, and radar maps are explained.

• Careers in Meteorology - Sponsored by the American Meteorological Society, this site explores careers in meteorology. It describes their job duties, the tools they use, training necessary and average salary.

• Computer Model Forecasts -Presented by the University of Michigan, this site provides weather model forecasts, using short- and medium-range computer graphics, satellite imagery, and more.

• Center for the Analysis and Prediction of Storms - This site from the University of Oklahoma strives to develop ways to numerically analyze and predict storms.

• Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies - This organization tries to understand fluctuations in climate and interactions among land, the atmosphere, and water.

• Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies - Presented by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, this site offers data, imagery, software and more to help predict and understand the weather.

• Midwest Regional Climate Center - This site represents the Midwestern portion of the United States. It studies and explains the climate of that region and its impact on the area.

• A Day in the Life of a Meteorologist - This site by Michigan State University outlines what a meteorologist does and how forecasts are created. It includes a lesson plan teachers can use to have students create and evaluate their own weather forecasts.

• Polarimetric Radar Page - This site by the National Severe Storms Laboratory explains in detail how radar works and the concept of polarimetric radar.

• National Climactic Data Center - Produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this site houses the world's largest archive of climactic data.
  
  
  

Live Feed & Frequent Update Information
In today's technologically advanced world, it is possible to find the weather of just about any given place with the click of a mouse. Live weather feeds from all over the world can be accessed from your computer. Also available are weather cams, showing the current weather from a specific place, and tide information, which is predicted using many variables including weather. Collecting data from these sites over a period of time can help to create weather projections based not only on real-time data but also on historical information.

• Real-Time Weather Data - This site by the National Center for Atmospheric Research presents a variety of real-time weather monitoring data. These include satellite imagery, radar, surface maps, upper-air maps, and more.

• NOAA National Weather Service Warnings - This site by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 's National Weather Service lists categorized national weather warnings. They are listed in categories such as tornado, special marine, and non-precipitation advisories and warnings.

• Plymouth State Weather Center Current Tropical Weather Feeds - This site presents a variety of tropical weather maps which are constantly updated. Water vapor satellite maps, global sea surfaces temperature maps, and infrared satellite images are a few of the types of maps available.

• Marine Operations: Weather and Local Tides - Presented by the University of Delaware, this site offers constantly updated information on marine weather.

• Harvested and Aggregated Weather Data: Projection Map and Imagery for Tropical

  Depressions - Presented by the Medical University of South Carolina, this website lists current NOAA Weather Alerts for Pacific tropical depressions, tropical storms and hurricanes.

• IEM Archived Data Resources - Presented by Iowa State University, this site offers archived weather data and plots. Radar, satellite, raw data and other analyses are included.

• World Weather Information Service - This site offers official, up-to-the minute forecasts for virtually anywhere around the world.

• Meteorological Charts Analysis Forecast North Atlantic Europe - This site presents meteorological charts of the North Atlantic and Europe regions of the world.

• AMS The DataStreme Project - Presented by the American Meteorological Society, this site offers current weather studies, surface maps, radar, satellite maps, upper air maps and more.

• WeatherNet Weather Cams - This site offers weather cams from every state in the United States. Various cities in each state are listed, with weather cams for that area.

• Weather Numerical Models and Forecasts - This website by Miami University of Ohio presents a variety of currently updated weather maps, including 500 MB Analysis, U.S. Surface Maps, and Forecast Model Maps.

• Jet Stream Maps - This site presents a collection of jet stream maps and forecasts which are constantly being updated. They are categorized by Hemispheric, East Pacific, North American and North Atlantic Overviews.

Additional Resources

• Sea Surface Temperatures - This site by the Space Science and Engineering Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison presents a map of current sea surface temperatures. Data from the past year is also available.

• Tropical Prediction Center - This site by the NWS National Hurricane Center offers information on tropical disturbances currently active and predictions for all areas of the world.

• Hurricanes, Typhoons & Tropical Cyclones Worldwide - Presented by the University of Hawaii, this site lists hurricanes, typhoons and tropical cyclones currently active around the world.

• Electron Microscopy Unit Snow Page - This site by Beltsville Agriculture Research Center offers a look at a snow flake under an electron microscope. Images of snow crystals and information on them is also presented.

• Fahrenheit, Celsius & Kelvin Temperature Scales - Presented by Fordham Preparatory School, this site offers information on how to convert to Fahrenheit, Celsius and Kelvin temperature scales.

Conclusion

Weather results from a complex system of variables interacting with each other. Although we can predict the weather to some degree of accuracy, as of now it is impossible to change the weather. As time goes on, and with the technology currently available to monitor weather conditions, that too may change.