Weather Maps!?!?!?!

[keithster]

I get so frustrated trying to find a good weather map these days. When I was in high school earth science, we learned to read weather maps complete with highs, lows, cold fronts, warm fronts, occluded fronts, etc. It was great to be able to look at a map and have a good idea what the weather would do in the next few days.

Most newspapers used to have these "professional" (for lack of a better word) weather maps.

Now, all you see is temp maps or maps with rain and snow. They don't tell you anything compared to what a good weather map tells you.

Is it that people can't read the "real" weather maps these days?

[blinc]

heh heh heh

You've come to the right place! After getting slammed by 3 hurricanes a couple years ago - and as freaked out as I get about tornados... the first thing I did with this computer was spend a couple weeks finding great weather maps! Oh yeah buddy, I've got lots of 'em! {toothy} Here are the best sites I've found - and some of them *gasp* even have cloud top heights, wind speeds, jet stream speeds, low fronts, and bunches of other good stuff.

Have fun!

http://www.wunderground.com/ (excellent information and various types of weather maps)
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ (National Hurricane Center)
http://tgsv5.nws.noaa.gov/index.html (National Weather Service Homepage)
http://www.weather.com/ (The Weather Channel)
http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/nationalwarnings.html (National Warnings Area - gives you all of the current weather warnings in the US)
http://www1.accuweather.com/adcbin/index (Accu weather - also has some good maps)
http://www.rollanet.org/~horshuer/weather.html (Links to other weather sites)

[blinc]

I do know what you mean about the "weather maps" in the newspapers though. A picture of the sun, a snowflake or whatever cute thing they have lined up, sure doesn't give you the info. you're looking for does it? I don't even bother with the newspaper weather anymore - I just click on one of those sites to find out what I want to know and am happy someone realizes we can do more then look at cute pictures to analyze the weather. ;)

[keithster]

I think it's for the same reason that they put photos on menus these days. People can't read that well anymore.

I heard once that the average newspaper is written at a 5th grade level. Except for USA Today. That's probably around 3rd grade. I'm surprised USA Today isn't written in crayon. :)

Someone had an 8th grade exam from 100 years ago. It was tough. It was equivalent to what a senior in high school might face these days.

[blinc]

Oh now Keithster - that is just sad! For goodness sakes, there is so much more information available... there is such a higher degree of technology, it seems if anything education nowdays should be twice as hard as decades ago. Geesh!