weather map

weather map
a map or chart showing weather conditions over a wide area at a particular time, compiled from simultaneous observations at different places.
[1870-75, Amer.]

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 any map or chart that shows the meteorological elements at a given time over an extended area. The earliest weather charts were made well before 1835 by collecting synchronous weather reports by mail. The first telegraphic collection of synoptic meteorological reports and their mapping for forecasting was accomplished by Urbain-J.-J. Le Verrier (Le Verrier, Urbain-Jean-Joseph) during the mid-1800s.

      The most common type of surface weather map, normally issued by a central weather office, shows the distribution of surface isobars (lines of constant pressure) and the location of fronts and severe weather areas such as hurricanes and other storms. At many locations on the map, a standard plotting code indicates wind direction and speed, air temperature and dew point, barometric pressure and its change during the preceding hours, the amount and types of clouds, the weather type, including restrictions to visibility, and the amount and type of precipitation. In the United States, weather maps are issued every three hours by the National Weather Service. When used in conjunction with charts showing the upper-air flow pattern at 850, 700, 500, 300, and 200 millibars of atmospheric pressure and with satellite photographs of the distribution of clouds, these maps are a valuable forecasting (weather forecasting) tool.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Weather map — Weath er map A map or chart showing the principal meteorological elements at a given hour and over an extended region. Such maps usually show the height of the barometer, the temperature of the air, the relative humidity, the state of the weather …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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  • weather map — noun (meteorology) a map showing the principal meteorological elements at a given time and over an extended region • Syn: ↑weather chart • Topics: ↑meteorology • Hypernyms: ↑map • Hyponyms: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • weather map — Synonyms and related words: Lambert conformal projection, Mercator projection, Miller projection, aeronautical chart, air mass, anticyclone, astronomical chart, atlas, azimuthal equidistant projection, azimuthal projection, cartographer,… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • weather map — weath′er map n. mer a map or chart showing weather conditions over a wide area at a particular time, compiled from simultaneous observations at different places • Etymology: 1870–75, amer …   From formal English to slang

  • weather map — /ˈwɛðə mæp/ (say wedhuh map) noun a map or chart showing meteorological conditions over a wide area at a particular time, compiled from simultaneous observations at different places …  

  • weather map — noun Date: 1871 a map or chart showing the principal meteorological elements at a given hour and over an extended region …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • weather map — noun a map that shows the analysis of meteorological quantities at various levels of the atmosphere …   Wiktionary

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