Math in Weather

Predicting the weather takes a lot of math. Scientists measure temperature, wind speed, and rainfall with numbers. They put these numbers into math formulas to guess what the weather will be tomorrow.

Measuring Weather

Weather tools collect numbers all day long. A thermometer measures temperature. An anemometer measures wind speed. A rain gauge measures how much rain falls.

All these numbers are recorded and studied. Scientists compare today's numbers to numbers from the past to look for patterns.

Making Predictions

Weather computers use millions of math calculations every second. They take data from weather stations all over the world. Then they use formulas to predict what will happen next.

A weather forecast might say there is a 70% chance of rain. That percentage comes from math. It means that in similar conditions, it rained 7 out of 10 times.

Fun Facts

• Weather supercomputers can do trillions of math problems every second.
• The highest temperature ever recorded on Earth was 134 degrees Fahrenheit in Death Valley.
• Snowflakes always have six sides because of the way water molecules connect using geometry.

Did You Know?

A hurricane's strength is measured on a scale from 1 to 5 using wind speed. Category 5 means winds over 157 miles per hour!