ENSC 201: Weather and ClimateWinter20143

Appendix A

WEATHER OBSERVATION & ANALYSIS PROJECT

A.1OBJECTIVE:

To observe, describe and explain Prince George’s weather for a specified, continuous four-day period. This project is designed to give you experience:

  • observing and collecting measured weather data,
  • reading a variety of weather instruments,
  • converting measurements into standard weather observations,
  • rationalizing data and reasonably dealing with data problems to make a useable data set,
  • presenting, graphing, and analyzing collected data in a meaningful way, and
  • integrating all thesynoptic and localweather data collected over the observation period into a concise well written report which describes, interprets and explains the observation period’s weather pattern(s).

METHOD:

Youwill monitor the Prince George weather for a specified 4-day period, and gather data from the sources indicated below. Monitoring will involve a combination of group and individual work. Once the data are compiled, each student will produce a concise, original, individually written report based on the collected data that interprets and explains the observed weather pattern in terms of the synoptic and local conditions that occurred over the 4 days.

Observation Period and Project Due Date:

You will make weather observations at an assigned Stevenson screen that has been setup for this project on the Teaching Lab Building roof. Data will also be gathered from the UNBC Weather Station and other publicly available websites. Yourdata collection timeat a specificStevenson screen will be determinedduring a lab several weeks prior to the start of the observation period. This, elements of the project, and the project due date areindicated on the Course Schedule.

During the four day observation period you willcollect information from the following sources.You will integrate these into areport thatcharacterizes and explains the weather that occurred.

  1. Roof-top Data Collection Sheet: You will work with other students who are assigned to take observations and measurements from the same Stevenson screen. In pairs you will observe and record weather dataonce per day at a set timeusing instruments set up in Stevenson screens on the Teaching Lab roof andfrom the UNBC Weather Station(accessed through the display on the second floor of the Teaching Lab Building). Each week during the labs, a demonstration will provide specific training on how to use the necessary meteorological equipment; an accompanying handout will detail each observation technique. The lab manual table of contents indicates which meteorological techniques we will use. A summary of the entire data collection process followsin this document under Weather Observation Procedures. Once completed, your Stevenson screen’s Data Collection Sheet will provide quantitative observations covering the four day weather project observation period; these will form a basis for your report.
  1. Personal Weather Diary: In the form of a personal weather diary/journal, youwill individually observe and record qualitative observations of the weatherover the four-day observation period. When personally convenient, but spread out over each day and extending into the evening / nightyou will make four or more journal entrieseach day thatbriefly note information about weather and sky conditions at your current location- where ever it is. This should be done during times when you are not making formal measurements on the lab building roof. At the end of each day,youmust summarize (i.e. one or two sentences) the main weather pattern for that day using yourmultiple daily observations to formulate your ideas. Finally, at the end of the four days you mustwrite a similar brief summary (i.e. a paragraph) of the weather for the entire observation period.

Your diary represents qualitative weather descriptions that recordthe weather you experience when you are not taking measurements at the Stevenson screen. Rather than being more individually made measurements or guesses at measured values, attempt to observe weather patterns or changes in sky conditions as they occur. It should include notes about the:

  • dominant weather condition (main weather feature / relative warmth or cold)
  • sky condition (main cloud type/amountorlevels of visibility)
  • precipitation (rain or snow; and when they start/occur if possible)
  • wind (strength, approximate direction) and
  • interpretive comments about the weather. Thisincludes anything you found interesting; any additional phenomena such as fog, ground frost, lightning, etc..

This diary will help you better observe and understand the weather patterns. It provides additional interpretative data that complement the quantitative observations made at your Stevenson screen. Having evening observations will help you notice and understand weather changes that occur outside of our Stevenson screenmeasurement times.

You are required to submit your original hand-written weather diary as an Appendix in your report, so plan how you will record this information in advance, and maintain it as neatly as possible. It must be possible to attach to your report, and be clear easily readable and understandable.

  1. Weather Maps / Charts / Graphs / Data: A wide range of local and synoptic weather information is available from publically available sources. You will need to collect some of this to explain the weather that occurred over the four day observation period. Through the course, you will learn how to collect and interpret these sources of information. They are required to properly understand and explain the four day weather period.

One of the best of these is the UNBC Weather Station (UNBC Wx Stn); because it is located on top of the Research Lab roof it provides an excellent resource for our project. As demonstrated regularly in lab and lecture, the data are displayed as text and graphicallyfrom a link on the course website at ( ). As the UNBC Wx Stnis located on the building directly across from our roof-top measurements, these data provide a comparable, 24-hour tracking of similar or complementary weather observations. Having 24-hour recording is something we are not able to do with student observers. Viewing the graph as the weather is happening will improve your understanding of the weather pattern as it is occurring. Note that when using the UNBC Weather Station, italways reports in Pacific Standard Time (PST). The UNBC Weather Station graph is an obvious good additional information source. It should be used to help you interpret the weather that occurred but it cannot replace using your roof-top weather observations in your reprort.

Synoptic weather maps are also required toformand explain your understanding of weather events andtheir evolution over the observation period. Synoptic maps provide information about thespatial and temporal evolution of storms(synoptic scales are approximately the same as regional scales). Environment Canada provides a listing of their weather maps at: from and selecting the Anaysis & ModellingAnalysis Chartslinks). Collect the Surface Analysis: MSLP Complete maps as they are easier to interpret than the Preliminary maps; this isbecause the Complete maps have had meteorologists interpret them and drawin fronts and other indicators of weather data. Additionally, as will be regularly shown in the lecture, some of these Environment Canada maps are collected and animatedon select ANALYSIS and then choose one of the CMC loops. For this report, theSurface and500 hPa analyses are usually the most helpfulof the offered maps. Another source is the list of weather resources compiled by the ENSC 408 class at

You are encouraged to look for other relevant websites on your own; you can explore both within these links and on websites provided by other media outlets, but carefully evaluate the type and quality of information before using it. Remember, forecasts are not useful for this report as you are not predicting the weather; rather you are trying to document and explain what has happened; so choose your informationsources accordingly. Like literature references, any material that you don’t personally create must be properly referenced.So,as you gather data record the original information source (not just itssecond-hand link).

  1. Satellite Images can supplement weather maps and help you understand weather systems through their associated cloud patterns. Satellite images are useful when viewing the synoptic-scale evolution of weather patterns and storms that may affect our area during the observation period. There are many sites with satellite images available on the internet. Environment Canada posts satellite imagery on the following sites (the GOES West links show our area well). These and similar images are also repackaged and displayed on . (Select SATELLITE and choose the IR links - useful are the GOES-10, and Alaskalinks which provide a good view of the weather approaching northern BC, as well as any of the GOES-Wlinks which relay the Environment Canada infrared satellite data). Note that satellite images are produced at a much higher frequency than weather maps. You do not need to collect all of them to see weather patterns. To be most effective, collecting satellite images that match the times of the weather maps will allow you to better interpret the synoptic weather that occurred. As with the weather maps, this information requires proper referencing (including original sources).

Collecting and interpreting synoptic weather information (maps and satellite images) can be a confusing part of the project. Instructors will be regularly demonstratinghow to do this, but you should review and practice collecting weather informationon your own before the observation period starts. Part of the project evaluation is based on how you select and use local and synoptic data sources for your report. Being familiar with this information and how to collect itprior to the observation period is very helpful as you will be busy enough during the data collection week. The type of weather pattern that actually occurs will make some types of maps and satellite images more useful than others. The more you realize what the different data productsoptions show, the easier it is to collect appropriate information for the weather we experience during the observation period. You must collect synoptic map and satellite data in “real time” as these are not normally available after the data collection period (many of these electronic files are overwritten as new maps are produced on a daily basis). It is best to collect more data than you will use in order to ensure you have the informationyou want. Usually, it is hard to know what will be most useful until after the observation period is over. However, keeping and usingtoo much information poses other problems when writing the report. This must also be avoided. Advice will be available during the writing phase of the report to assist you in making decisions on what to collect and how to use it. If you are not clear about what to do, ask your instructor for advice before the start of the data collection phase of the project.

In summary, your report is based on the previousfour types of weather information. The first two are your primary data sources, the third and fourth complement and enhance your collected data and are required to understand and explain the weather that occurred.

A.2WEATHER OBSERVATION PROCEDURES:

Observation techniques and procedures will be learned during labs. A practice-run of the whole data collection processwill occur before the data collection week.Students will work in pairs (sometimesthrees) to collect weather measurements from an assigned Stevenson screen,buteveryone must write an independent, individual weather diary, and weather report. (Submitting a copied report is academic misconduct and will result in an automatic failure and university sanctions.) Each observation groupis assigned a daily time slotand Stevenson screen, where they will reporttheir weather measurements during the 4-day data collection period. However, to collect weather measurements three times each day (~8 am, noon, and 4 pm) for each Stevenson screen, three different groups of students (sometimes from different lab sections) will form a larger team of students who are responsible to recordall the data for a single Stevenson screen. Once the observation schedule is finalized, copies will be posted on the website, near the Stevenson screens, and outside the UNBC Weather Display.

Eachgroup (i.e. pair or threesome) is responsible for completing their time slot’s data collection. Exchangecell phone numbers, and make prior contingency plans so you can cover for each other if problemsarise. There are significant mark deductions for groups that miss assigned observations. Group members are expected to work together when taking measurements. When this isn’t possiblefor every measurement, groups must coordinate how they will cover for each other. During scheduling, the Senior Lab Instructor will ensure that as much as possible, data collection can be done by all group members.

Observationsshould be completed within 30 minutes of the set data collection times. As your group becomesmore efficient, 10 -15 minutes will be enough time to complete the observations. Because groups have plus or minus 30 minutes of the assigned observation time to complete measurements there is ample time. Weather measurements are recorded on Data Collection Sheets (see the sample at the end of this document) that will be attached to clipboardskept in the Weather Observation room on the roof of the Teaching Lab Building. These sheets always remain on the roof clipboards (until the end of the data collection period when theyare put on reserve in the UNBC Library). Accurate instrument reading techniques, care of equipment, observationpunctuality, and neat, accurate, legible record keeping are the keys to successfuldata collection. Having quality data to analyse will make report writing much easier and more efficient for everyone.

Students will also have a personal copy of the Data Collection Sheet. We recommend you have it with you during the observation period so that as you are making yourdaily roof-top observations, you can review and record the other observations for your Stevenson screenon your personal copy. To avoid data entry errors always copy data from the roof-top sheet onto your personal copy, not the other way around. Remember to leave spaces on your personal Data Collection Sheet copy so you can write the observations for your Stevenson screen in order by their time (starting with the 8 am timeslot each day). Check for observation consistency (e.g. maximum temperatures should be greater than minimum values for a reading; wet-bulb temperatures are lower or equal to air temperatures; snow or rainfall data makes sense according to what you recall occurred). If values seem questionable, try to determine what the error is; ask an instructor to confirm the problem. If there is a problem with someone else’s observations talk to one of the instructorsto make sure your understanding of the problem is correct. They may be able to alertthe other observers to theproblem and try to correct it before it reoccurs. If you notice these issues as you are recording data, email your lab instructor and annotate them on your personal copy of the data collection sheet.After the data collection week is over, there will be lab time to review the quality of your team’s data (we call this data rationalization), and these notesmay be helpful.

To make any weather maps you’ve collected comparable with your roof-top data you will have to interpret chart symbols and convert the map time from Z (zulu) or UTC (Coordinated Universal Time or Greenwich Mean Time – these all mean the same thing) to either Pacific Standard Time (PST)or Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) depending on the time of year. Further information on how this is done will occur in the labs before the project starts. See the project data collection table at the end of this section for an example of a completeddata recording sheet.

ObservationDetails:

The following summarizes key information for using each instrument and gives an example of how you might most efficiently sequence your observations. More detailed instructionsand summary handouts are provided duringeach lab (dates indicated in the Lab Schedule). These handouts form the later pages of Appendix A. Copies of these handouts will also be available with the data collectionclipboards on the roof. Refer to thesepages for specific details while you are making your weather observations.

Start data collection by obtaining the Lab Building roof key from the Security Desk. They have the Weather Project Observation Scheduleand will sign out a key to you or your partner at your assigned time. Bring your student card or other photo identification. Only scheduled students are allowed on the roof. You must return the key to the Security Desk within half an hour of obtaining it.