Meteorolgoy and Weather Prediction

Satellite Technologies

Satellites are used to monitor the weather and climate on earth from space. They either continue to orbit around earth, seeing the same spot every twelve hours. This is called polar orbiting. Satellites can also be geostationary, which means they orbit at the same speed that the earth rotates so they can watch the same spot.

Radar

Radar is an acronym for radio detection and ranging. It is an electronic piece of equipment that meteorologists use to detect rain and snow. Radar works by determining the direction and distance that reflect radio energy back on to the site.It measures the size, motion, and concentration of water droplets/ice crystals in a storm.
There is also a type of radar called "Doppler radar". This kind of radar detects precipitation intensity, wind direction/speed, and it estimates the size of hail and amount of rainfall.The Austrian physicist J.C. Doppler came up with the hypothesis that the frequency between sound waves increase as they near an observer and decrease as they move away. An example of this would be a train blowing its whistle.

http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-forecasting.htm
http://ec.gc.ca/meteoaloeil-skywatchers/default.asp?lang=En%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20&n=AD084E96-1&offset=7&toc=show

Weather Fronts/Systems

Warm/Cold Fronts

A cold front is when cold air mass replaces warm air mass. The air behind a cold front is much colder than the air in front of it, hence "cold front". Cold fronts generally move from Northwest to Southeast. On weather maps, a cold front is the blue line with arrows pointing towards the warmer air.

A warm front is basically the opposite of a cold front. It is when warm air mass replaces cold air mass. They usually move Southwest to Northeast. The air behind a warm front is a lot warmer than the air ahead of it. A warm front is shown on a weather map as a red line with semi-circles in the direction it is going.

http://www.climateandweather.net/world_weather/weather_fronts.htm

High/Low Pressure Systems

A low pressure system is when the pressure in the atmosphere is lower than the area around it. Winds, warm air, and lifting in the atmosphere are usually associated with a low atmospheric pressure. These are things that cause clouds, precipitation and can create tropical storms.

A high pressure system is when the pressure in the atmosphere is higher than the area around it. High pressure systems move clockwise in the Northern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern hemisphere. A high pressure in the atmosphere is caused by high air cooling, becoming more dense. Areas with a high pressure system also have more extreme high and low temperatures.

http://geography.about.com/od/climate/a/highlowpressure.htm

Weather Forecasts

 

http://www.weathercity.com/ca/sk/warman

 

http://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/warman/s0k/weather-forecast/50407

 

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather.canada.saskatchewan/warman

The forecasts are all different. This is because different people study the weather and post on the sites. Also, the weather could have been updated/posted at different times. 

Observing the weather, for centuries, was mostly done just by observing it. The rain gauge, barometer, anemometer, hygrometer, and thermometer weren't invented until between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries. When the telegraph was invented in the 1840's, meteorologists had an easier time communicating with each other. By communicating through the telegraph, they were able to better predict the weather from coast to coast rather just from where they were individually. This definitely helped when predicting large storms occurring or even just a lighter rain. 

http://www.history.noaa.gov/tools/weathertech.html 

Common Weather Folklore and Proverbs

"The higher the clouds, the finer the weather."
When there are thin, wispy clouds very high up in the air, the weather is very likely to be nice.

"Clear moon, frost soon."
When there aren't any clouds in the sky and you can see the moon at night, the earth cools quickly because there is no coverage. Therefore, the temperature will drop, creating frost in the morning.

"When clouds appear like towers, the Earth is refreshed by frequent showers"
Clouds that look like cauliflower or castles are most likely forming weather inside. If the clouds grow and begin to look gray, there is a big chance of a thunderstorm appearing.

"Rainbow in the morning gives you fair warning."
If you see a rainbow in the morning when you wake up, it means rain is coming in from the west.

"Ring around the moon? Rain real soon."
The 'halo' around the moon is caused by an incoming warm front forcing high, thin clouds to get lower, and thicker. The ice crystals within the clouds are then reflected by the moon's light forming the halo you see.

"Rain foretold, long last. Short notice, soon will pass."
If it looks like it is going to rain because of overcast for days on end, but it hasn't yet, then when it finally does rain it will last for hours. When the rain is unpredicted, it won't last for long.

" No weather is ill, if the wind be still."
There shouldn't be any precipitation if the wind is calm or still because they are usually found towards the middle of a high pressure system or air mass. Whereas precipitation is usually in the boundaries of air  masses.

"A rainbow in the morning is the shepherd’s warning. A rainbow at night is the shepherd’s delight."
Rainbows in the morning mean rain is coming soon, but a rainbow at night mean the rain has passed.

"If the moon's ace is red, water ahead."
A low pressure front bringing moisture is pushing dust ahead, which causes the red colour.

"If birds fly low, then rain we shall know."
Air becomes 'heavier' when the air pressure drops. This is why birds will fly lower to the ground, and a lower air pressure means that there will most likely be bad weather such as rain or snow.

http://www.almanac.com/content/weather-predicting-do-it-yourself
http://cksimpsonwx.blogspot.ca/2013/03/myth-no-weather-is-ill-if-wind-is-still.html
http://www.essortment.com/weather-forecasting-history-accuracy-21151.html
 http://www.farmersalmanac.com/weather/2009/02/23/top-4-folklore-favorites/