Assessment / Application Exercises

Three sets of observations were collected on the same day: May 6, 2006. These observations were from Miami, FL; Phoenix, AZ; and International Falls, MN. Compare the observations between any two of these three cities. In your comparison:

• note if the patterns of temperature, dewpoint, and relative humidity are similar or different between the stations
• note which stations have more moisture and which have less moisture
• note which stations were warmer or cooler

If you choose the following pairs of cities, consider these questions:

• Phoenix & International Falls: Both cities measured the same the dewpoint values at 10:00 a.m. local time. Were the relative humidity values at 10:00 a.m. the same at both cities? Why or why not?
• Phoenix & Miami: Both cities measured similar maximum temperatures. To the human body, which location "felt" warmer? Why?
• Miami and International Falls: Both cities measured similar minimum relative humidity values (within 5% of each other). Does this mean both cities had the similar amounts of water vapor in the air? Why or why not?

Station: KPHX -- Phoenix, AZ

Latitude: 33.4342 = 33 degrees 26 minutes 3 seconds North

Longitude: -112.0511 = 112 degrees 3 minutes 3 seconds West

Station: KMIA -- Miami, FL

Latitude: 25.7906 = 25 degrees 47 minutes 26 seconds North

Longitude: -80.3164 = 80 degrees 18 minutes 59 seconds West

Station: KINL -- International Falls, MN

Latitude: 48.5619 = 48 degrees 33 minutes 42 seconds North

Longitude: -93.3978 = 93 degrees 23 minutes 52 seconds West