Present Weather and Visibility
To the left of the cloud shape in the center of the station model is the symbol depicting present weather. The present weather symbol depicts the current weather which normally is obstructing the visibility at the time of observation. The visibility itself is shown as a number, in statute miles in the United States and meters elsewhere, describing how far the observer can see at that time. This number is located to the left of the present weather symbol. For pilots, knowledge of the horizontal visibility helps determine if they are flying through instrument meteorological conditions, such as foggy or smokey conditions, as well as areas of intense precipitation. Present weather depicted with the station model can include:
- Dust
- Fog
- Haze
- Ocean spray
- Precipitation
- Sand
- Smoke
- Thunderstorms
- Volcanic ash
Read more about this topic: Station Model
Famous quotes containing the words present, weather and/or visibility:
“The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin’.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin’.”
—Bob Dylan [Robert Allen Zimmerman] (b. 1941)
“This is the weather the cuckoo likes,
And so do I;
When showers betumble the chestnut spikes,
And nestlings fly:”
—Thomas Hardy (1840–1928)
“My children have taught me things. Things I thought I knew. The most profound wisdom they have given me is a respect for human vulnerability. I have known that people are resilient, but I didn’t appreciate how fragile they are. Until children learn to hide their feelings, you read them in their faces, gestures, and postures. The sheer visibility of shyness, pain, and rejection let me recognize and remember them.”
—Shirley Nelson Garner (20th century)