DEW POINT AND ACTUAL AIR TEMPERATURES

• The Unisys Weather Map (click on Current Surface Map or Regional Data Plots), or
• WW210 (scroll down and click on surface observations map of the U.S. or your local region) from the University of Illinois.

Please follow these directions:

1. Obtain a weather map from your teacher.
2. Mark the position of the group of storms on the weather map.
3. Draw a line on the weather map showing the direction the storms have gone from to the direction they are going to.
4. Choose at least six weather stations on or close to the line you drew. For example, station 1 should be furthest in front of the storm. Station 2 should be next. Station 3 and 4 should be under the storm. Station 5 should be behind the storm. Station 6 should be furthest behind the storm.
5. Then look the weather readings at the weather stations as the storms approach the stations, are on the stations and pass the stations.
6. Make a data table with the variables "Dew point Temperature" and "Actual Air Temperature".
7. Record the dew point and actual air temperatures in front of, under and behind the storms in a data table and then graph the results.

What is your conclusion? As a storm approaches and departs a reporting station does the dew point and the actual air temperature have a relationship or is it random? If there is a pattern, what is it?

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