How to Read a Digital Barometer

Analog barometers use mercury and gauges with no digital display.
••• Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images

The barometer is one of the earliest reliable instruments for weather prediction. The device reads changes in air pressure. Generally speaking, falling pressure means bad weather, although more specific readings are made possible by using the published studies of local observed conditions. The oldest barometers were analog instruments using containers of water, but modern ones are often electronic with digital read-outs.

    Determine the wind direction. This is best done with an established weather vane, but if you do not have one, lick a finger and stick it in the air. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, and you can use this to establish your general orientation and determine the wind direction.

    Check the pressure reading on your barometer. This will be a number between 28 and 32.

    Take the wind and pressure reading and compare it to your guide to local weather patterns. This will yield a prediction. For example, in the US if the wind is southeast to northeast, and the pressure is above 30.1 and falling slowly, that means there should be rain coming, and that it will arrive in 12 to 18 hours.

    Things You'll Need

    • A guide to your local or national weather patterns
    • Weather vane (optional)

Related Articles

How to Convert Wind Speed to Pressure
How to Draw a Frontal Boundary on a Weather Map
What Units Does the Anemometer Measure In?
Difference Between Barometer, Manometer & Anemometer
How to Recalibrate a Springfield Barometer
How to Set and Read a Barometer
Different Types of Anemometers
How to Understand Barometric Pressure Readings
How to Read Weather Radar
Schatz Barometer Instructions
What Happens When Barometric Pressure Rises?
Tools Used in Meteorology
Weather Vane Facts
Do Winds Affect the Dew Point?
Why Is the Anemometer Important to Weather Forecasting?
Types of Old-Fashioned Weather Instruments
Wind Speed Vs. Air Pressure
Weather Instruments & Their Uses
Tools Used to Measure Hurricanes
How to Convert Wind Speed to Force