THE SYNOPTIC AND PROGNOSTIC CHART

AND
FORECAST FROM ANY SOURCE

Prepared by: Russ Jason T. De Los Angeles

Raymart dave B. de Asis
Joshua T. Craus
Divinigracia
B
 synoptic charts
With an understanding of how the air moves and how clouds and rain form, much
prediction can be made by simply observing the sky overhead, observing wind
direction and noting the temperature and humidity of the air. But to be able to
predict and forecast weather it is necessary to understand the isobaric patterns
associated with fronts and depressions, anticyclones and high pressure ridges.
Meteorologists plot isobaric patterns on synoptic charts.
 prognostic chart
 is a map displaying the likely weather forecast for a future time. Such charts
generated by atmospheric models as output from numerical weather
prediction and contain a variety of information such
as temperature, wind, precipitation and weather fronts. They can also indicate
derived atmospheric fields such as vorticity, stability indices,[clarification needed] or 
frontogenesis. Forecast errors need to be taken into account and can be
determined either via absolute error, or by considering persistence and absolute
error combined
 Isobaric patterns
The completed isobars usually reveal a few standard patterns. A set of curved
isobars surrounding an area of low pressure reveals a depression, with the wind
in the northern hemisphere blowing anticlockwise around its centre. A set of
curved isobars surrounding a high pressure reveals an anticyclone, with the
winds in the northern hemisphere blowing clockwise around its centre. Open
V-shaped isobars with low pressure inside delineates a trough of low pressure;
high pressure inside the formation is called a ridge of high pressure. A col is the
indefinite isobar configuration between two highs and two lows arranged
alternately, and has no particular type of weather associated with it other than
light winds. 
 Geostrophic
And approximate surface wind speeds

Winds of this type are usually called geostrophic

winds. Geostrophic winds come about because pressure gradient
force and Coriolis force come into balance after the air begins to
move. A geostrophic wind flows parallel to the isobars.
 Actual Versus Geostrophic Wind

Actual winds blow across isobars toward lower

pressures. The angles of cross-isobar flow very
based on the friction created by the underlying
surface. The ocean’s surface causes across-isobar
angle of 10 degree to 20 degree, that’s as close as we
can get to geostrophic flow.
 Additional Rules and Considerations

When mountain ranges separate colder air on one

side from warmer air on the other, isobaric spacing is
much closer (packed) over the range. Along
coastlines in the winter, when continental arctic or
polar air moves offshore over warmer water, the isobar
will pack over the water. It is very important to
remember this in the absence of ship reports/ The
greater the temperature contrast between the air mass
and the water, the tighter the gradient (spacing )
THE END!