Geography & Geology

The Eastern Michigan University (EMU) weather program supports students in the environmental science, earth science, earth science secondary education, and geography programs. Students can start learning about forecasting weather including severe weather to satisfy their general education requirements. Students have used this to explore a career interest in broadcast meteorology or weather forecasting. Students can continue on to more traditional weather survey and climate change courses that serve the earth and environmental science programs. Students can use these degree programs to continue on to a meteorology or climatology graduate program and compete for graduate assistantships that provide paid tuition, fees, and a stipend. Students can also use the general education experience at EMU with proper advising to complete their four-year meteorology degree program elsewhere starting in their Junior year.

Academics

If you are interested in learning about weather forecasting, please consider taking ESSC 101 Introduction to Weather and Forecasting at Eastern Michigan University. The course (both lecture and lab) is offered online and face-to-face during fall and winter semesters. You can also purchase Weather and Climate Forecasting: The Scientific Method in Action, written by the instructor, Professor Thomas Kovacs, from Kendall Hunt Publishing.

Weather Analysis

Forecasters and weather students analyze various weather maps, radar and satellite images, weather models and more. These are more data dense than viewed on public media such as TV and phone apps. Use the drop down menus to access publicly available weather data used by weather forecasters.

• Past Weather and Climate

  Access past weather map, precipitation, and temperature data.

  • Archived NOAA Surface Maps back to 2005
  • Past Precipitation Amounts
  • Past Temperature Data

• Hydrologic Conditions

  Access Great Lake surface temperature and ice cover and US river flood stage.

  • Great Lakes surface water temperature
  • River flood stage observations
  • Snow depth and snow water content
  • Snow Telemetry (SNOTEL) maps of snow depth, stream flow, soil moisture
  • Drought Monitor
  • El Nino/La Nina Equatorial Pacific Sea Surface Temperatures

• Local Conditions and Forecasts

  Access current and archived data from EMU's weather station on the roof of Mark Jefferson Science Complex.

  National Weather Service Forecast Office for Detroit/Pontiac

• Radar

  Access surface-based U.S. Doppler radar images to see precipitating weather systems and their movement.

• Satellite

  Access satellite images of the atmosphere including visible, infrared, and water vapor images. More functionality with images and loops are available at each location. 

  • GOES East Full Earth Disk 12 image (2 hr) loop visible (day) and infrared (night)
  • GOES East Continental US 12 image (2 hr) loop visible (day) and infrared (night)
  • GOES East Continental US 12 image (2 hr) loop infrared (band 13)
  • GOES East Continental US 12 image (2 hr) loop upper troposphere water vapor (band 8)
  • GOES East high-resolution multiple hour loops of areas of interest

• Skew T Diagrams

  Access weather balloon data plotted on a special skew T diagram that allows analysis of precipitation type, air quality, and severe thunderstorm potential.

• Weather Maps

  Access data from the network of weather balloons placed on weather maps of decreasing pressures (and therefore increasing altitudes) to get a cross-section of the atmosphere.

  • Current NOAA Surface Map including isobars, station models, and fronts
  • Current American Meteorological Society Surface Map
  • NOAA Upper-air Maps including 925 mb, 850 mb, 700 mb, 500 mb, 300 mb, and 250 mb maps
  • American Meteorological Society Upper-air Maps
  • High resolution (mesoanalysis) weather maps for severe weather forecasting

• Weather Models

  Access data from various weather models from rapidly updating short-term regional weather models to long-term global weather models. The links below takes you to one weather model output selection page for each model. Go to the Model Analysis and Guidance page for more options.

  • Rapid Refresh (RAP) model is a regional model with new data every hour.
  • North American Model (NAM) is a longer forecast range regional model.
  • Global Forecast System (GFS) is the longest forecast range global model.
  • Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS) is an ensemble forecast system with multiple model runs (ensemble) providing a range of forecast guidance.
  • NAM and GFS Forecast Skew-T diagrams
  • Model Output Statistics (MOS) are a statistical method of transferring model data to ground stations for a more traditional station weather forecast. MOS statistics will be soon phased out, but are included until that happens.

• Weather Outlooks

  Access various long-range and hazardous weather forecast outlooks.

  • 6-10 day outlook
  • 8-14 day outlook
  • 3-4 week outlook
  • 1 month outlook
  • 3 month outlook (These are the seasonal outlooks such as for Winter)
  • 3-7 day US Hazards Outlook
  • 8-14 day US Hazards Outlook
  • Convective (Thunderstorm and Severe Weather) Outlook
  • Fire Weather Outlook