“Synoptic Meteorology”

by Caleb, KE0FOE

As we continue with our series covering JetStream, The National Weather Service’s new Online School for Weather, the topic this time is: Synoptic Meteorology.

In meteorology, the definition of synoptic means to “view together” or to “view at a common point”. So, in synoptic meteorology, we are viewing worldwide weather systems using one common point – which is time. This common time used by meteorologists around the world is Coordinated Universal Time or UTC which is also known as Zulu time.

Unlike many local time zones that observe daylight savings like we just did this morning, UTC remains the same year round.

Large air masses and cyclones can straddle several time zones. Plotting their positions and predicted movements on weather maps requires all weather forecast offices to be on the “same page” when it comes to timing.

Therefore, using this ubiquitous 24-hour clock allows weather maps around the world to display the same timestamp which makes tracking and predicting weather on a synoptic scale more streamlined.

There are a lot of amazing facts and projects about earth’s atmosphere that you and your family can discover on the National Weather Service’s new Online School for Weather called JetStream. Visit their website: weather.gov/jetstream