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What tools do meteorologists use to forecast the weather?

Meteorologists use multiple tools to help forecast the weather. Our Lauren Petrelli breaks down some of the tools that are used on a daily basis and how they work.

Posted at 10:22 AM, Apr 13, 2021

and last updated 2021-04-15 08:17:01-04

This week's weather question:
"Hi my name is Liam and I'm in 3rd grade at Saint Michael's Lutheran School. My question for you is-- what is your favorite tool to help predict the weather?"

Explanation:
Meteorologists use various tools to help forecast the weather. This includes satellites that orbit the globe and feed us information from space. Below is a video loop from the GOES-East satellite.

HELLO GORGEOUS: This is the view of Florida from #GOESEast today. The loop shows a sunny start to the day after a weekend of some much-needed rain. @Fox4Now #SWFL pic.twitter.com/MMIkUcn1Eq
— Lauren Petrelli (@LPetrelliTV) April 13, 2021

Another tool that is used on a daily basis called Doppler Radar. The radar sends an outgoing pulse called a radio wave, and then the energy hits a system such as scattered storms and sends the information back to the radar tower. You have probably seen the Fox 4 team use radar every day to track rain across Southwest Florida. You can see a view of our current radar by clicking here.