8 Elements of Meteorology

Meteorology may not initially seem like the most interesting topic to cover in a training program, but the science of weather has very direct and powerful effects on survivability and estimation. Additionally, as students learn the principles of this science, it becomes enjoyable as well as useful in day-to-day life.

For example, here are eight interesting points that very people seem to know:

1. Crickets can tell you the temperature with high accuracy. For Fahrenheit, count the number of chirps in 15 seconds and add 37. For Celsius, count the number of chirps in 8 seconds and add 3. This is another but simple example as to why learning to tell temperatures in Celsius can be easier and faster.
2. A thunderstorm indicates a cooling trend, as they often lead a cold front. If you’ve been sweltering under the heat of summer, you know a thunderstorm can be welcome. But in Spring time, a thunderstorm means you’ll need a warmer jacket again.
3. Lightning releases nitrogen in the soil, which can help plants flourish. Notice after the next lightning storm how lawns seem greener.
4. Windy conditions at night usually mean clear skies for star-gazing or navigating.
5. Snow sublimates about a half-inch each day it sits in the sun, even if temperatures are below freezing. If snow is not replenished, three of inches of it will vanish in a week.
6. There are many type of clouds, and only a few types of fog...but while all clouds basically form by one process, each type of fog forms by a unique process.
7. The height of the Himalayas causes the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. Warm air in India rises up the slopes of the Himalayas. As it rises, the air cools. As the humidity in the air turns to snow, the air dries. This dry air slides down the far side of the Himalayas, warming back as it descends. By the time it reaches the base of the mountains, this air is hot and bone dry. The hot dry winds transform the region into the Gobi Desert, explaining why a desert exists so far North. A similar process causes the dry conditions at Death Valley and the Dead Sea.
8. Cirrus clouds high above cumulus clouds often indicate a cold front is coming. Rain in summer, or snow in winter, is likely in the next day or two. This example shows how the ability to read cloud combinations can give you an accurate, local forecast that can help you plan your day, your travels, or your hikes.