The Use of the Compass as a Weather Instrument
for Home Weather Forecasting
for Home Weather Forecasting
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Compasses are devices that we learn about even as small children. Most of us are fascinated by them when an adult explains to us that the magnetized needle will point in the same direction (North) all the time. So, we all pretty much know what a compass is used for. Navigation was the original purpose of the compass and once it was discovered, navigation everywhere became much safer and more accurate.
A compass is, in more contemporary terms, a device that is sensitive to magnetic waves and has the capability of accurately determining magnetic north. Most compasses have each of the primary directions north, south, east and west, printed on their face. Though their primary purpose is navigation, we can also use the compass for other reasons, such as weather watching and forecasting.
Of course a weather compass is very important when it comes to weather watching or weather forecasting because it is practically favorable to know from which direction weather comes and to which direction it is moving. Without a compass, we can only guess the general direction of weather pattern movement, especially when we cannot view the sky, such as during an overcast day or night.
The modern weather compass is not anything like the old magnetic needle compasses that we all know and love. Most of the contemporary direction indicators are, in fact, electronic in nature and, when used in weather stations, wireless. Many wireless home weather stations include a built-in compass on their combination anemometer and weather vane components. When the wind changes direction, the weather software automatically calculates the specific direction within microseconds of the change. If a weather pattern is causing havoc and the compass in the weather station indicates that the wind is coming from the direction of the rough weather, it can help the weather prognosticator to determine whether or not to take cover.
Compasses are a basic weather prediction instrument that should be included in every amateur weather person's instrument cache. In fact there should be more than one compass. The modern wireless weather station will conduct directional information to the indoor station constantly and the owner can read the instruments from inside the comfort of their own home. In conjunction with other weather tools such as anemometers, weather vanes, hygrometers, barometers, rain gauges, thermometers and atomic clocks, compasses make up a valuable component of any wireless home weather station.
Excellent compasses are found in the vast majority of home weather stations including the very excellent Kestrel 4500NV Pocket Weather Tracker
If you're looking for basic, location-finding compasses, you may be interested in either the Brunton Weather-Eye Key Compass
Whether one uses a simple hand-held magnetic glass compass or an electrical weather compass, the prediction of weather and it's forward movement can be easily calculated with the aid of a weather map and a home weather station.