Links

Undergrad Programs

Graduate Program

Faculty

Contact Info

Copyright 2005, University of Northern Colorado

Tips for an Effective Weather Briefing

• Understand what weather is presently ocurring and why
• Discuss reasons why previous forecasts have gone awry
• Outline the weather changes that are expected and why
• Examine numerical guidance and present a well-justified forecast for a given time and place

Preparation for a weather briefing takes time. Practicing meteorologists are paid to spend an entire day analysing the state of the atmosphere. Ultimately, a specific forecast is produced, but it is supported entirely by the briefing as summarized in the weather discussion. As students, you don't have the luxury of spending an entire day preparing for a briefing, but you can begin the day before by familiarizing yourself with existing conditions and how they are changing. Much of our success in forecasting is earned by maintaining a sense of weather continuity from one day to the next.

When preparing for, and delivering your weather briefing, always adhere to the "Forecast Funnel". The forecast funnel is a concept created by Snellman in the early 1980's that focuses our attention first on large scale processes, then works down scale to the local forecast. For example, If you wish to forecast upslope snow along the eastern foothills, you first need to understand and describe how the large scale environment has created conditions that are favorable for such an event.

A typical weather briefing proceeds in the following order:

• Report on any significant weather that occurred the previous day. Stay focused on simply reporting these events; You can reveal why they occurred and if they could be repeated as you proceed through the rest of the briefing. Occasionaly, an exceptionally severe event occurs that warrants a detailed review because the forecast was either terribly wrong, or brilliantly accurate.
• Look at visible, infrared, and water vapor satellite animations. Highlight the "features of the day" that are of interest for your specific forecast area.
• Look at upper-level constant pressure charts. Note the positions of troughs, ridges, and jet streams relative to the key features identified on satellite. Compare to the previous day and identify areas where conditions are changing rapidly. Note any areas where rawinsonde observations are inconsistent with the prepared analysis.
• Look at lower-level constant pressure charts. Note the position of cyclones, anticyclones, fronts, troughs, drylines, and other relevant features. Link these features to the upper-level conditions.
• Look at the surface observations and locate centers of low pressure, fronts, areas of precipitation, squall lines, and other significant features. Contine to relate any changes occurring here to what is happening at the larger scale. As always, any statement should be accompanied by a description of why that condition exists.
• Now that you've examined the present conditions, move on to numerical guidance to help prepare a specific forecast. View the model output critically, always remembering that it is merely guidance. Stay focused on your items of interest and wrap up your briefing. The majority of your time should focus on the analysis of present weather, while numerical guidance should help you confirm or question your assesment of future changes.

For more reading, consider these words of wisdom for weather briefings offered by Jim Steenburgh at the University of Utah.