Weather Map Encoding Scheme
Explains how to understand some of the colors and figures found on standard meteorological maps. i.e. Surface maps, upper air maps, and radar summary charts.
Surface:
- Blue High Pressure
Blue Cold Fronts
Blue Cold Frontogenesis and frontolysis
Red Low Pressure
Red Warm Fronts
Red Warm Frontogenesis and frontolysis
Red/Blue Stationary Fronts
Purple Occluded Fronts
Purple Occluded frontolysis
Purple Squall Lines
Black Trough
Green Shade precipitation areal coverage
Yellow Stations with vision obstructions
850 mb and 700 mb analysis:
- Blue High geopotential centers
Blue Height rises in +50 meter intervals
Red Low geopotential centers
Red Hight falls in -50 meter intervals
Black Troughs or Waves
Yellow A significant isotherm
Orange Arrows indicating winds >= 30 kts
Green Shade areas of dewpoint depressions of 5 degrees C or less
500 mb analysis:
- Blue High geopotential centers
Blue Height rises in +50 meter intervals
Red Low geopotential centers
Red Height falls in -50 meter intervals
Black Troughs
Yellow A significant isotherm
Orange Arrows indicating winds >= 50 kts
Green Shade areas of dewpoint depressions of 5 degrees C or less
300 mb and 200 mb analysis:
- Purple Outline jet streams starting at 70 kts in 20 kt intervals
Purple Actual value of wind maximum
Orange Arrow indicating jet maximum
500 mb Hemispheric:
- Blue 534 dm geopotential
Black 570 dm geopotential
Radar Chart:
- Green Outline all Level 1
Yellow Outline all Level 3
Red Outline and shade all Level 5