Weather plays a role in our everyday lives. It is important to know what is happening in the weather. Is it going to be 30 degrees Celsius outside this afternoon? This means you may want to take extra water with you to drink. Is there a really good chance that it is going to rain all day? If so, you might want to take an umbrella or raincoat with you.

Thankfully, information on the weather can be found at the touch of a button on a computer or on your phone. It can also be found on the radio, the television, or in a newspaper.

Another way information can be presented to you is in map form with different information displayed on each map. Below are two different weather maps.

The first one gives the current temperature (at about 11:00 a.m. MST). If you look in the upper right-hand side of the chart, you will notice a line with different colours that also has numbers along it. This is the legend. It tells you what the different colours in the chart mean. For example, a yellow colour on the map means a temperature between 0 and 10 degrees, while an orange colour means a temperature of 15 degrees. Red is used for temperatures over 30 degrees.

The second weather map shows the amount of precipitation that can be expected on a Wednesday afternoon. Once again there is a legend in the upper right-hand corner. According to this map, the area going from about Grande Prairie down to the US border has a 30 – 40% chance of precipitation this afternoon.

Try This:

Have a look at the weather chart below and then answer the questions that follow.

1. What is the forecasted high temperature for Tuesday, May 7?

2. How many hours of sunshine is forecasted for Sunday, May 5?

3. What will the air temperature feel like on Wednesday, May 8?

4. Which day has the lowest forecasted low temperature?