Lab Manual for Environmental Studies 201

ENSC 201: Weather and Climate Winter2016

Appendix A WEATHER OBSERVATION & ANALYSIS PROJECT

A.1 OBJECTIVE: To observe, describe and explain Prince George’s weather for a specified, continuous four-day period. This project is designed to give you experience:  observing and collecting measured weather data,  reading a variety of weather instruments,  converting measurements into standard weather observations,  rationalizing data and reasonably dealing with data problems to make a useable data set,  presenting, graphing, and analyzing collected data in a meaningful way, and  integrating all the synoptic and local weather data collected over the observation period into a concise well written report which describes, interprets and explains the observation period’s weather pattern(s).

METHOD: You will monitor the Prince George weather for a specified 4-day period, and gather data from the sources indicated below. Monitoring will involve a combination of group and individual work. Once the data are compiled, each student will produce a concise, original, individually written report based on the collected data that interprets and explains the observed weather pattern in terms of the synoptic and local conditions that occurred over the 4 days.

Observation Period and Project Due Date: You will make weather observations at an assigned Stevenson screen that has been setup for this project on the Teaching Lab Building roof. Data will also be gathered from the UNBC Weather Station and other publicly available websites. Your data collection time at a specific Stevenson screen will be determined during a lab several weeks prior to the start of the observation period. This, elements of the project, and the project due date are indicated on the Course Schedule.

During the four day observation period you will collect information from the following sources. You will integrate these into a report that characterizes and explains the weather that occurred.

1. Roof-top Data Collection Sheet: You will work with other students who are assigned to take observations and measurements from the same Stevenson screen. In pairs you will observe and record weather data once per day at a set time using instruments set up in Stevenson screens on the Teaching Lab roof and from the UNBC Weather Station (accessed through the display on the second floor of the Teaching Lab Building). Each week during the labs, a demonstration will provide specific training on how to use the necessary meteorological equipment; an accompanying handout will detail each observation technique. The lab manual table of contents indicates which meteorological techniques we will use. A summary of the entire data collection

A- 1 ENSC 201: Weather and Climate Winter2016

process follows in this document under Weather Observation Procedures. Once completed, your Stevenson screen’s Data Collection Sheet will provide quantitative observations covering the four day weather project observation period; these will form a basis for your report.

2. Personal Weather Diary: In the form of a personal weather diary/journal, you will individually observe and record qualitative observations of the weather over the four-day observation period. When personally convenient, but spread out over each day and extending into the evening / night you will make four or more journal entries each day that briefly note information about weather and sky conditions at your current location - where ever it is. This should be done during times when you are not making formal measurements on the lab building roof. At the end of each day, you must summarize (i.e. one or two sentences) the main weather pattern for that day using your multiple daily observations to formulate your ideas. Finally, at the end of the four days you must write a similar brief summary (i.e. a paragraph) of the weather for the entire observation period. Your diary represents qualitative weather descriptions that record the weather you experience when you are not taking measurements at the Stevenson screen. Rather than being more individually made measurements or guesses at measured values, attempt to observe weather patterns or changes in sky conditions as they occur. It should include notes about the:  dominant weather condition (main weather feature / relative warmth or cold)  sky condition (main cloud type/amount or levels of visibility)  precipitation (rain or snow; and when they start/occur if possible)  wind (strength, approximate direction) and  interpretive comments about the weather. This includes anything you found interesting; any additional phenomena such as fog, ground frost, lightning, etc.. This diary will help you better observe and understand the weather patterns. It provides additional interpretive data that complement the quantitative observations made at your Stevenson screen. Having evening observations will help you notice and understand weather changes that occur outside of our Stevenson screen measurement times. You are required to submit your original hand-written weather diary as an Appendix in your report, so plan how you will record this information in advance, and maintain it as neatly as possible. It must be possible to attach to your report, and be easily readable and understandable.

3. Weather Maps / Charts / Graphs / Data: A wide range of local and synoptic weather information is available from publically available sources. You will need to collect some of this to explain the weather that occurred over the four day observation period. Through the course, you will learn how to collect and interpret these sources of information. They are required to properly understand and explain the four day weather period. One of the best of these is the UNBC Weather Station (UNBC Wx Stn); because it is located on top of the Research Lab roof it provides an excellent resource for our project. As demonstrated regularly in lab and lecture, the data are displayed as text and graphically from a link on the course website at (http://weather.unbc.ca/wx/index.html ). As the UNBC Wx Stn is located on the building directly across from our roof-top measurements, these data provide a comparable, 24- hour tracking of similar or complementary weather observations. Having 24-hour recording is something we are not able to do with student observers. Viewing the graph as the weather is happening will improve your understanding of the weather pattern as it is occurring. Note that

when using the UNBC Weather Station, it always reports in Pacific Standard Time (PST). The UNBC Weather Station graph is an obvious good additional information source. It should be used to help you interpret the weather that occurred but it cannot replace using your roof-top weather observations in your reprort. Synoptic weather maps are also required to form and explain your understanding of weather events and their evolution over the observation period. Synoptic maps provide information about the spatial and temporal evolution of storms (synoptic scales are approximately the same as regional scales). Environment Canada provides a listing of their weather maps at: http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/analysis/index_e.html (coming from http://weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca and selecting the Anaysis & Modelling  Analysis Charts links). Collect the Surface Analysis: MSLP Complete maps as they are easier to interpret than the Preliminary maps; this is because the Complete maps have had meteorologists interpret them and draw in fronts and other indicators of weather data. Additionally, as will be regularly shown in the lecture, some of these Environment Canada maps are collected and animated on http://cirrus.unbc.ca/wxv; select ANALYSIS and then choose one of the CMC loops. For this report, the Surface and 500 hPa analyses are usually the most helpful of the offered maps. You are encouraged to look for other relevant websites on your own; you can explore both within these links and on websites provided by other media outlets, but carefully evaluate the type and quality of information before using it. Remember, forecasts are not useful for this report as you are not predicting the weather; rather you are trying to document and explain what has happened; so choose your information sources accordingly. Like literature references, any material that you don’t personally create must be properly referenced. So, as you gather data, record the original information source (not just its second-hand link).

4. Satellite Images can supplement weather maps and help you understand weather systems through their associated cloud patterns. Satellite images are useful when viewing the synoptic-scale evolution of weather patterns and storms that may affect our area during the observation period. There are many sites with satellite images available on the internet. Environment Canada posts satellite imagery on the following sites http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/satellite/index_e.html (the GOES West links show our area well). These and similar images are also repackaged and displayed on http://cirrus.unbc.ca/wxv . (Select SATELLITE and choose the IR links - useful are the GOES-10, and Alaska links which provide a good view of the weather approaching northern BC, as well as any of the GOES-W links which relay the Environment Canada infrared satellite data). Note that satellite images are produced at a much higher frequency than weather maps. You do not need to collect all of them to see weather patterns. To be most effective, collecting satellite images that match the times of the weather maps will allow you to better interpret the synoptic weather that occurred. As with the weather maps, this information requires proper referencing (including original sources).

Collecting and interpreting synoptic weather information (maps and satellite images) can be a confusing part of the project. Instructors will be regularly demonstrating how to do this, but you should review and practice collecting weather information on your own before the observation period starts. Part of the project evaluation is based on how you select and use local and synoptic data sources for your report. Being familiar with this information and how to collect it prior to the observation period is very helpful as you will be busy enough during the data collection week. The type of weather pattern that actually occurs will make some types of maps and satellite images more

useful than others. The more you realize what the different data products show, the easier it is to collect appropriate information for the weather we experience during the observation period. You must collect synoptic map and satellite data in “real time” as these are not normally available after the data collection period (many of these electronic files are overwritten as new maps are produced on a daily basis). It is best to collect more data than you will use in order to ensure you have the information you want. Usually, it is hard to know what will be most useful until after the observation period is over. However, keeping and using too much information poses other problems when writing the report. This must also be avoided. Advice will be available during the writing phase of the report to assist you in making decisions on what to collect and how to use it. If you are not clear about what to do, ask your instructor for advice before the start of the data collection phase of the project.

In summary, your report is based on the four types of weather information discussed in this section. The first two are your primary data sources, the third and fourth complement and enhance your collected data and are required to understand and explain the weather that occurred.

A.2 WEATHER OBSERVATION PROCEDURES: Observation techniques and procedures will be learned during labs. A practice-run of the whole data collection process will occur before the data collection week. Students will work in pairs or threes to collect weather measurements from an assigned Stevenson screen, but everyone must write an independent, individual weather diary, and weather report (submitting a copied report is academic misconduct and will result in an automatic failure and university sanctions.) Each observation group is assigned a daily time slot and Stevenson screen, where they will report their weather measurements during the 4-day data collection period. However, to collect weather measurements three times each day (~8 am, noon, and 4 pm) for each Stevenson screen, three different groups of students (sometimes from different lab sections) will form a larger team of students who are responsible to record all the data for a single Stevenson screen. Once the observation schedule is finalized, copies will be posted on the website, near the Stevenson screens, and outside the UNBC Weather Display. Each group (i.e. pair or threesome) is responsible for completing their time slot’s data collection. Exchange cell phone numbers, and make prior contingency plans so you can cover for each other if problems arise. There are significant mark deductions for groups that miss assigned observations. Group members are expected to work together when taking measurements. When this isn’t possible for every measurement, groups must coordinate how they will cover for each other. During scheduling, the Senior Lab Instructor will ensure that as much as possible, data collection can be done by all group members. Observations should be completed within 30 minutes of the set data collection times. As your group becomes more efficient, 10 -15 minutes will be enough time to complete the observations. Because groups have plus or minus 30 minutes of the assigned observation time to complete measurements there is ample time. Weather measurements are recorded on Data Collection Sheets (see the sample at the end of this document) that will be attached to clipboards kept in the Weather Observation room on the roof of the Teaching Lab Building. These sheets always remain on the roof clipboards (until the end of the data collection period when they are put on reserve in the UNBC Library). Accurate instrument reading techniques, care of equipment, observation punctuality, and neat, accurate, legible

A- 4 ENSC 201: Weather and Climate Winter2016 record keeping are the keys to successful data collection. Having quality data to analyse will make report writing much easier and more efficient for everyone. Students will also have a personal copy of the Data Collection Sheet. We recommend you have it with you during the observation period so that as you are making your daily roof-top observations, you can review and record the other observations for your Stevenson screen on your personal copy. To avoid data entry errors always copy data from the roof-top sheet onto your personal copy, not the other way around. Remember to leave spaces on your personal Data Collection Sheet copy so you can write the observations for your Stevenson screen in order by their time (starting with the 8 am timeslot each day). Check for observation consistency (e.g. maximum temperatures should be greater than minimum values for a reading; wet-bulb temperatures are lower or equal to air temperatures; snow or rainfall data makes sense according to what you recall occurred). If values seem questionable, try to determine what the error is; ask an instructor to confirm the problem. If there is a problem with someone else’s observations talk to one of the instructors to make sure your understanding of the problem is correct. They may be able to alert the other observers to the problem and try to correct it before it reoccurs. If you notice these issues as you are recording data, email your lab instructor and annotate them on your personal copy of the data collection sheet. After the data collection week is over, there will be lab time to review the quality of your team’s data (we call this data rationalization), and these notes may be helpful. To make any weather maps you’ve collected comparable with your roof-top data you will have to interpret chart symbols and convert the map time from Z (zulu) or UTC (Coordinated Universal Time or Greenwich Mean Time – these all mean the same thing) to either Pacific Standard Time (PST) or Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) depending on the time of year. Further information on how this is done will occur in the labs before the project starts. See the project data collection table at the end of this section for an example of a completed data recording sheet.

Observation Details: The following summarizes key information for using each instrument and gives an example of how you might most efficiently sequence your observations. More detailed instructions and summary handouts are provided during each lab (dates indicated in the Lab Schedule). These handouts form the later pages of Appendix A. Copies of these handouts will also be available with the data collection clipboards on the roof. Refer to these pages for specific details while you are making your weather observations. Start data collection by obtaining the Lab Building roof key from the Security Desk. They have the Weather Project Observation Schedule and will sign out a key to you or your partner at your assigned time. Bring your student card or other photo identification. Only scheduled students are allowed on the roof. You must return the key to the Security Desk within half an hour of obtaining it. Note the time you start taking your readings. To use your time most efficiently, make sure to record the wind and pressure readings on your way up to the roof (both are located on the Teaching Lab Building’s second floor). Write these readings on a separate piece of paper and transfer them to your screen’s data collection sheet when you get to the roof. (To be most efficient, this separate sheet of paper should be your personal data collection sheet, already organized so you can record these values in their appropriate time sequence for the four-day observation period.)  Wind Speed and Direction: These are observed using both visual and instrumented methods. Remember to record the UNBC Weather Station wind readings from the Weather Display on

the Teaching Lab 2nd floor on your way up to the roof. Measured wind data are displayed in table form during the data collection week. Ensure this information is accurately transferred onto the clipboard data sheet for your screen. Procedure details are summarize as follows: Measured Wind – UNBC Weather Station: Wind speed and direction measurements come from an anemometer located on the Research Building roof with data displayed on the cirrus website (http://weather.unbc.ca/wx/index.html ). Record numerical wind speed, (m/s) and azimuth direction (degrees from north) to the nearest 10 minutes of your observation time. Try to make your visual wind observations on the roof within the same 10 minutes. Visual Wind Observations: When you get on the roof, use the aviation wind sock, or other visual cues to report the Beaufort number (wind speed), and the anemometer mounting arm or Library building orientation to report the wind direction as a bearing on an 8-point compass (N, NE, E, SE, S…etc.). Remember that wind is reported as the direction it is coming from, and that the anemometer mounting arm and Library are aligned north-south.  Atmospheric Pressure: Before leaving the second floor, read and record the barometer’s atmospheric pressure in millimeters (mm) of mercury. Record the barometer’s temperature too. Ensure this information is accurately transferred onto your screen’s roof-top data collection sheet. Individually, students will convert all the barometer readings to corrected pressure values (in hPa). Do not report a converted value on the roof-top data sheet. Having everyone calculate their own pressure values reduces data errors. Information on how to convert these readings is presented with the pressure lab and also accompanies the barometer. Walk up to the roof and use the key to get onto the weather observation deck. Close the door behind you. When making your roof-top observations, propping the door open affects the thermometers in the nearest Stevenson screens. Similarly, leaving your Stevenson screen open when not making measurements affects thermometers, so make sure your Stevenson screen is closed when you are not actually reading the instruments inside. Psychrometer temperature equilibration: To remain liquid, water for the psychrometers is stored inside the weather equipment room. Psychrometers work by measuring the temperature change due to evaporation (i.e. the difference between the wet and dry-bulb thermometers). Since evaporation varies for frozen and unfrozen conditions, different measuring procedures are used depending on the air’s temperature (described below under Relative Humidity Determination). If your psychrometer and the water we use to wet the psychrometer wet-bulb is warmer than the outside temperatures when you arrive, put the wetted psychrometer outside in your Stevenson screen (i.e. a shaded place) and give it time to adjust to outside temperatures before taking your readings. While waiting for it to equilibrate, make your other observations. If brought outside, return your water bottle and sling psychrometer to the indoor room before you leave to prevent them from freezing solid and possibly cracking.  Air Temperature and Max/Min Temperature: Stevenson screens protect the thermometers from direct sunlight striking them, as this would elevate their temperature values. Air temperature is always defined as the temperature taken in the shade. Open your Stevenson screen, leave the thermometers in it, and take the readings as quickly as possible to avoid such problems. Read and record the present air temperature from the mercury level on either the maximum or minimum side of the max/min thermometer (both sides should be within a degree of each other). Record the present air temperature reading in the correct column. Read the

maximum and minimum temperatures at the bottom of their respective pins and record their values in the correct columns. Reset both pins. Close the Stevenson screen door. [Tip: Once you have your humidity measurements, check the psychrometer’s dry-bulb temperature is within 2 degrees of the present air temperature on the max/min thermometer. They should be consistent with each other at each observation time, and discrepancies larger than 20C should be noted in the comments column and reported to your instructor.]

 Relative Humidity Determination: For non-frozen temperatures, use your screen’s sling psychrometer by wetting the wick, letting the temperatures equilibrate, and aspirating the psychrometer by rotating it until temperatures stabilize (this may take 3-5 minutes). Read the dry-bulb and wet-bulb thermometers and report these temperatures in the correct columns on the data sheet. (Remember: The present air temperature from the dry-bulb thermometer should be no more than 20C different than the current temperature from the max/min thermometer. If they are not, check you are reading these correctly. Report problems to your instructor.) If temperatures are at zero or freezing, a cold-air sling psychrometer with thermometers that read to -300C will be used. There is only one of these psychrometers, and it is much more delicate than the screen psychrometers. It requires the formation of a thin ice film over the wet- bulb for each use. Once this film is formed, humidity is measurement using the same process as for non-frozen temperatures. Your lab instructors will assist with making the ice film and reading this psychrometer when it is required. If weather allows, we will demonstrate this procedure in advance of the data collection week. Each student will calculate RH values and report these on their personal data collection sheet. Use the wet and dry-bulb measurements to determine the relative humidity (%) using the psychrometric equation as demonstrataed in the Humidity Lab. For non-freezing conditions -1 o -1 use: λover water = 66 Pa °C . For frozen conditions use:  over ice = 58.2 Pa C . Only calculated values are used in your project report. (Estimates of your RH values can be determined by using the psychrometric tables provided in your humidity lab if you wish.)  Precipitation Data: Observe and record any rainfall as millimeters of water. AFTER taking the measurement (and checking it!) your rain gauge MUST be emptied. The rain gauge automatically converts the volume (milliliters) of rainfall collected into its depth (millimeters) of equivalent rainfall. In addition to measuring the amount of rainfall, check that the rain gauge opening is not obstructed and that the gauge is properly put into its holder. If rain freezes in the rain gauges during our observation period, specific instructions will be given on how to melt this and take accurate measurements. For snow, use the provided ruler to record the depth of new snowfall in millimeters (mm) from your screen’s assigned section of the snow bench. Take 3 measurements and record their average value as the depth of snowfall on the Data Sheet. Use an undisturbed, non-wind affected area of the bench that has been assigned to your screen to make your measurements. Remember to clear away the snow only from your section of the snow bench, so you don’t affect someone else’s readings. Once cleared, the next reading represents newly accumulated snow. To get a precipitation value, each student must convert the recorded mm of snow depth to its mm of equivalent water by dividing by 10 (as demonstrated in the lab).  Cloud Observations: Record the total sky condition, then record the dominant cloud type and amount in 8ths for each layer (high, middle, or low). Use the provided information sheets,

posters, and/or cloud charts as reference materials. Use the standard abbreviations to represent cloud types on the Data Sheet. The cloud sheet given in the lab contains these and will be attached to your clipboard. Record cloud amount as eighths of covered sky. If cloud cover is patchy, imagine grouping the cloud as a single mass for each height and then estimate the amount. It is easiest to divide the sky into halves, then quarters, then eighths to get an estimate. As lower layers will obstruct your view of what is above them, report only what you can see and indicate n/a (not applicable) for the layers you can’t see – see the example data sheet at the end of this document. When there are no clouds, report the amount as zero (0) eighths for all layers and list the type as n/a. Cloud amount is recorded in 8ths to be consistent with Environment Canada standards which are what is reported on weather maps. Those using hourly data from airports will notice that aviation observers report cloud amounts in 10ths; watch you don’t confuse this. Comments; Weather and Special Observations: In the Comments column note current weather phenomena that may aid in interpretation of the data (i.e. currently occurring precipitation, special conditions such as fog, hoar frost, wind affected by roof-top structures, etc.). Also note any instrument problems or instrument damage here. MAKE SURE TO ALSO REPORT DAMAGE OR PROBLEMS TO THE SENIOR LAB INSTRUCTOR OR COURSE PROFESSOR IMMEDIATELY.

Leave the clipboard on the roof and return the keys: After recording all the data make sure to leave your screen’s Data Sheet on the clipboard and return it to the table in the roof-top weather equipment room. RETURN THE KEY TO SECURITY DESK AFTER YOU HAVE FINISHED YOUR OBSERVATIONS!! During the observation period instructors will be available to assist with questions about procedures or data.

A.3 SECURITY & SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: Weather observations take place on the roof of the Teaching Lab Building. UNBC Security must be contacted for a key to access the weather instruments on the roof. Security will have a list of observing times and the students who are authorized to access the roof at those times. Only ENSC 201 students who are completing their assigned observations are permitted on the roof. You must return the key within 30 minutes of your observation time. The person signing out the key remains responsible for it until Security receives it back again. Do not keep keys, or be late returning them. Missing keys will result in mark deductions and billing of any related lock replacement costs to those responsible. STUDENTS ARE NOT PERMITTED BEYOND THE RAILINGS ON THE ROOF. All of the observing equipment can be accessed and read from the area within the railings. People on the roof can be observed. Anyone reported or observed acting in an unsafe manner while on the roof will face severe consequences including removal from the project, failure of the project component, and university sanctions. Being on the building roof requires additional safety awareness especially regarding STRONG WINDS OR THUNDERSTORMS WHEN NO ONE SHOULD BE ON THE ROOF!! If either of these events occur during your observing time, only when the wind has diminished, or the thunderstorm has passed can you access the roof. So, if there is strong wind, thunder, or lightning you CAN NOT

conduct your observations. This may mean that you miss that observation time. If such an event occurs, note it on your personal recording sheet, and inform the Professor and Senior Lab Instructor immediately. This precaution is very important, on the roof you are one of the highest points around and you could attract a lightning strike or be blown off the roof in extreme weather. Should such an extreme weather event occur, instructors will discuss procedures with you.

A.4 REPORT REQUIREMENTS: Your report should provide an account and explanation of the local and synoptic weather conditions that occurred over the four-day observation period in up to 2000 words (~8 typed double-spaced pages using 12 point font text, and not including figures or appendices). The report should relate observed conditions to their major controlling factors such as storm systems, frontal activity, air mass type when relevant, regional air circulation, and when relevant, local factors such as aspect, moisture, elevation, etc.. Under some weather patterns, local weather factors can play a larger role than synoptic conditions. Generally, the report must present, describe, and explain the collected weather data graphically and in other ways that best demonstrate your understanding of how the local and synoptic situation affected the weather Prince George experienced over the 4-day observation period. The report must substantiate your interpretation of the weather using the observed and synoptic data you collected. For your analysis, specific references to data that support your interpretations must be made. All maps, graphs, images, and diagrams must have captions and be referred to in the body of your report. These should be used to clarify and condense your report writing. Making best use of these items usually involves generating your own diagrams, graphs, or maps from the information that you collected so that you can show what you want to explain. Do not hope that a reader will synthesize graphical information from poorly organized pre-existing material, or lengthy word descriptions. Sources for such information must be properly referenced using an author, date style. Animations cannot be accepted in the report. This report should be formatted to include: an introduction, the body (which presents and discusses the data), and a conclusion. There is no requirement to follow a specific report style but we expect you will use headings and subheadings to organize the report; we also require that you use appendices to provide any information that might augment your report but is not required in the report body (e.g. the weather diary, original data collection sheets). Your writing style must be professional. Report organization must enhance your report objectives and make it easy to follow. The final document must be corner-stapled with a title page (i.e. no binders, portfolio covers, duo- tangs, etc. as these often obscure images and text). This will be discussed further in lectures and labs. All non-original material must be properly referenced using an author, date style. If you have questions or are unsure about report writing, discuss it with your instructors well in advance of project deadlines. A complete report consists of:  an original, concise, individually written description, interpretation, and explanation of the observed weather in terms of the synoptic and local conditions for the observation period.  accompanying graphs, charts, maps, and figures that display your data and enhance your explanation. Each of these must have a caption, be numbered, and be referred to in the body of your report. Figures should be embedded in the body of your report near the corresponding

text. Part of your evaluation is based on how you choose to present your material. Remember, figures are there to make it easy for the reader to absorb your information, to see the relationships indicated by your data, or to demonstrate specific phenomena. Be selective and careful to use only weather information that describes the current weather patterns and how they are changing. This often means that you create, annotate or redraw your own variations of original images that better express the idea you are discussing; it usually also means that many of your collected images are not used. So, do not include every collected map, image, or piece of data in your report. We want you to analyze and interpret maps or data sets, extract relevant information, and report only what assists your report. Use a map or image if you feel referring to it will enhance your interpretation and discussion. A bunch of maps with little discussion or no relevant interpretation detracts, rather than adds to the quality of your report. Note, that neat hand-drawn diagrams are better than computer-generated graphics that do not show the points you are trying to make. We prefer you focus on report content and not on manipulating computer graphics for this report. If there are some non-essential images / maps / graphics, etc. that may be of interest to a reader for completeness or may be of related interest but they are not necessary to explain your report points, include them in an appropriately labeled and captioned appendix. Think carefully about whether to include these; sometimes they are better left out. We encourage you to ask an instructor for advice if you are not sure how to use appendices. What to include in appendices:  your raw data sheet showing the information that was collected in its original form  your final (rationalized) data sheet, neatly presented for easy reading (conversions and corrections etc. done, problems and errors noted). Here you must also clearly indicate the details of any quality control measures you may have had to use in order to make sense of your data.  your weather diary / weather log, with relevant observations also reported in the report body by summarizing important data in tables, graphs, words, or diagrams in the body of the report  any additional information you wish to include complete the report but ensure you are not padding the document with poorly related or unneeded information. Remember, weather forecast information is NOT relevant to your report. Unfortunately, newspapers/radio/internet often only present forecasts, so watch for this.

A.5 REPORT EVALUATION: The report and supporting work is worth 26% + 1% of the course grade; the report will be graded out of 100 marks. It is possible to earn up to 10 bonus marks for excellence or originality in your analysis, presentation, and/or explanation. A detailed mark breakdown will be given during the course. Marks will be awarded for the quality of your:  presentation (formatting and organization); having an introduction, body that encompasses the report goals, and conclusions; writing quality; grammar; spelling; proper use of references and in-text citations using the author, date style; proper use of table of contents and appendices.

 data and data collecting process (including team members comments)  data rationalization (reviewing your data for rectifiable errors, reporting these, and indicating what you did to resolve any of these problems)  data presentation and analysis (displaying and manipulating your data to aid in your explanation. This may include but is not limited to: creating time series graphs of the observation period’s data; annotated synoptic maps or drawings; explanatory drawings or imagery; explanatory photos; verbally summarizing data in charts or tables; etc.)  interpretation and explanation of what happened over the 4 days, and why it occurred. This includes supporting your statements with the data you collected and indicates your understanding of the weather that affected Prince George over the specified four-day observation period.

A.6 SUGGESTIONS FOR REPORT WRITING: Titles, a table of contents, headings, subheadings, and appendices help to organize a report and make it more coherent. Refer to report writing information for more information about components of a report. All non-original information must be cited using in-text citations and an end-of- document reference list that follow an author, date style of your choice. As this is an individual report, copying another student’s data, figures, graphs, etc. in your report is not allowed and will be considered cheating – an academic offense that will get you into trouble. If you are missing data, speak to an instructor as soon as possible to see what can be done. Plagiarism is another academic offense to be aware of and avoided. You should use text, tables and figures (e.g. graphs, diagrams, maps, charts, and illustrations) to describe and explain the observed weather pattern and relate it to the synoptic situation. Often a well placed, annotated, and captioned figure describes or explains a concept much better than a lot of text. Graphs also condense a lot of information and provide a pictorial representation of data relationships. Remember, the report writer’s job is to provide information and explanation for the reader in the most accessible way; use the most appropriate format(s) for your objective. Review the following graph related concepts and questions, to help you decide how, when, and where to use graphs in your project.  What are your reasons for graphing data?  What are the advantages and disadvantages of a particular style of graphing (i.e. multiple graphs, multiple categories of data, time series, selecting only particular data, etc.)? Does it aid your interpretation of the weather? How?  How do you choose axis dimensions, and their placement and orientation on the page?  How do you represent gaps in your data (i.e. when there are no data overnight? Sometimes authors use dashed lines to represent interpolated data, or data gaps along an axis.). Pay close attention to the time axis when representing gaps in time.  How should you distinguish different data points on your graph?  Should you place multiple graphs or images on a single page? Which ones go together? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

 How should figure labels, titles, captions, and citations be used to properly represent your diagrams and graphs? Make sure all figures, graphs, and tables are numbered and accompanied by captions with sources cited. All figures and tables must be referred to, discussed, and/or explained within the body of the report; sometimes you can do this for a group of related figures to streamline your writing. When using figures, graphs, and tables rather than describe what the reader can see (this makes them redundant) highlight what you want the reader to remember after viewing the image. Data quality control is a required component in any driven report. When presenting your data, you must consider sources of error that would affect your interpretation of the weather that occurred. Major data reliability issues and human or instrument errors should be discussed briefly in the report body. Otherwise, it is not necessary to discuss errors in great detail in the report body because you must assess, resolve, and document in an appendix, the specific details of your error issues in a data rationalization (quality control) process. The data rationalization process will be discussed and demonstrated in detail in the lab after you have collected your data. This is a graded component of the project with the grades specified in your course syllabus. As developing writers, we encourage you to discuss your writing questions with your instructors. To aid in this dialogue, you must briefly meet with a course instructor and verbally outline your report - the story of the weather that occurred over the observation period; review the supporting information you plan to use in your report; and discuss how you plan to organize and write it. Lab time is made available for this; we have allowed about 15 minutes per person. This meeting is a required element of the report writing process that is graded (see syllabus for amount). Instructors have found that this discussion helps students organize and clarify/confirm their thoughts early in the writing process, and helps students write their reports more efficiently and correctly. Finally, remember to leave time to edit and critically review your report before turning it in. You want to ensure that you have met the report requirements, organized the material well, expressed yourself in easily understood ways, and eliminated typographical and grammatical errors. Use this document and the report marking sheet information* to check you are meeting report requirements. Make sure to leave enough time to ask for instructor advice should you have questions. Note that instructors will meet and discuss any aspect of the project with you, including answering specific writing or content questions; but they will not review or edit your report for you prior to turning it in.

*The marking sheets that are used by instructors to give feedback on these reports will be distributed to students during the data collection period. The intent is that students know the details of how they are evaluated and can see common issues that affect project marks in order to avoid having these affect their reports.

A.7 REFERENCES & OTHER INFORMATION SOURCES:  Ahrens, C. D., P.L. Jackson, C.E.J. Jackson, 2016. Meteorology Today: An introduction to weather, climate and the environment. 2nd Canadian Edition. Nelson Education, Toronto. (Appendices, Cloud Chart at the back of the text, Chapter 11, 12 and 15 – content on air masses, fronts, storms, and weather forecasting. Use the index for other relevant pages).  Aguado, E., and J.E. Burt, 2007. Understanding Weather & Climate. 4th edition. Pearson Education. Toronto. (Appendix C, Weather Symbols; Chapter 6, Cloud Types; Chapter 9, Air Masses and Fronts; use the index for other relevant pages).  Handouts and internet sites given in class.

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