Synoptic Chart

Weather Chart/ Synoptic Chart

– A synoptic chart is any map that summaries
atmospheric conditions (temperature, precipitation,
wind speed and direction, atmospheric pressure and
cloud coverage) over a wide area at a given time.
• They display an overview of the weather conditions
observed from many different weather stations,
aero planes, balloons and satellites.
• This allows meteorologists to make more accurate
weather forecasts. Charts are updated at least
every six hours.
 Weather Chart/ Synoptic Chart
Weather charts consist of curved lines drawn
on a geographical map in such a way as to
indicate weather features. These features are
best shown by charts of atmospheric pressure,
which consist of isobars (lines of equal pressure)
drawn around depressions (or lows) and
anticyclones (or highs). Other features on a
weather chart are fronts and troughs.
 Buys Ballot’s Law
A rule in synoptic meteorology,
enunciated in 1857 by Buys Ballot, of
Utrecht, which states that if, in the northern
hemisphere, one stands with one’s back to
the wind, pressure is lower on one’s left
hand than on one’s right, whilst in the
southern hemisphere the converse is true. Buys Ballot of Utrecht
This law implies that, in the northern
hemisphere, the winds blow anticlockwise
round a depression, and clockwise round an
anticyclone; the converse is true in the
southern hemisphere.
Weather System
Air always flows from areas of high pressure
to areas of low pressure, aiming to reach the
equilibrium………
– But, because of the deviating force caused by the
rotation of the Earth (namely Coriolis effect) it
does not flow in a straight line. Instead of it, the
winds form a spiral: inwards and upwards in low
pressure systems, downwards and outwards in
high pressure systems. 
High pressure or anticyclones
Anticyclones are areas of high pressure,
whose centres are often less well defined than
depressions, and are associated with quiet,
settled weather. Winds blow in a clockwise
direction around anticyclones in the northern
hemisphere, this is reversed in the southern
hemisphere.
Low pressure or depressions
Depressions are areas of low pressure, usually
with a well-defined centre, and are associated
with unsettled weather. Winds blow in an
anticlockwise direction around depressions in
the northern hemisphere, this is reversed in the
southern hemisphere.
 Fronts
Early weather charts consisted simply of
station plots and isobars, with the weather
being written as comments, like 'Rain, heavy at
times'. During the 1920's, a group of
Scandinavian meteorologists, known
collectively as the Bergen School, developed the
concept of representing the atmosphere in
terms of air masses.
 Cold Front
A cold front marks the leading edge of an
advancing cold air mass. On a synoptic chart a
cold front appear as a blue line with triangles.
The direction in which the triangles point is the
direction in which the front is moving.
 Warm Front
A warm front marks the leading edge of an
advancing warm air mass. On a synoptic chart a
warm front appears as a red line with semi-
circles. The direction in which the semi-circles
point is the direction in which the front is
moving.
Occlusion (or occluded front)
Occlusions form when the cold front
of a depression catches up with the
warm front, lifting the warm air
between the fronts into a narrow
wedge above the surface. On a synoptic
chart an occluded front appears as a
purple line with a combination of
triangles and semi-circles. The direction
in which the symbols point is the
direction in which the front is moving.
 Stationary Front
Symbol Information
• A stationary front occurs
when a warm or cold front
stops moving.
• Noticeable temperature and
wind shifts occur when
traveling across the front
line.
• Once the stationary front
starts moving again, it
becomes warm or cold.
 Troughs
Fronts describe thermal characteristics. They
also happen to be where there is significant
precipitation. However, precipitation is not confined
to fronts. Drizzle in warm sectors or showers in cold
air occur fairly randomly, but occasionally, lines of
more organized precipitation can develop. These are
called troughs.
Isobars (lines of equal atmospheric pressure)

• Iso Bars
• barometer
• Inches/mb
• hectopascal
• In the British Isles the average sea-level
pressure is about 1013 mb (about 30 inches of
mercury), and it is rare for pressure to rise
above 1050 mb or fall below 950 mb.
Relationship between isobars and wind

There are two important relationships between

isobars and winds.
• The closer the isobars, the stronger the wind.
• The wind blows almost parallel to the isobars
These make it possible to deduce the wind flow
from the isobars.
 Understanding station plots on a weather
map
• The weather conditions at each individual
station can be represented on a surface chart
by means of station plot. This means that
information which would take up a lot of
space if written on to a chart can be displayed
in a quick easy to understand format.
 The land station plot can represent all the elements
reported from that station, these typically include:
• Air temperature
• Dewpoint temperature
• Wind speed
• Wind direction
• Visibility
• Atmospheric pressure and three-hour
• tendency
• Cloud amounts
• Cloud types
• Cloud heights
• Present weather
• Past weather
 Total cloud amount
The total amount of the sky covered by cloud
is expressed in oktas (eighths) and is plotted
within the station circle for manned
observations or station triangle for automatic
stations, by the amount of shading.
 Wind
• Wind speed and direction
• The surface wind direction is indicated on the station plot
by an arrow flying with the wind.
• Direction is measured in degrees from true North.
Therefore a wind direction of 180 is blowing from the
south. The wind speed is given by the number of 'feathers'
on the arrow. Half feathers represent 5 knots whilst whole
feathers indicate 10 knots. A wind speed of 50 knots is
indicated by a triangle. Combinations of these can be used
to report wind speed to the nearest 5 knots. The symbols
used are as follows.