Lab Exercise: Analyzing and Mapping Historic Weather Data

For this lab, you will analyze weather data for one city or region over a 50-year period. You will use Microsoft Excel to create a spreadsheet and graph.

Note: If you do not have Microsoft Office, click here to access OPEN OFFICE software. To learn how to use Microsoft Excel, click here or here.

Using the following website, select a city or region. http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag/time-series/us

In the attached spreadsheet, record the high annual temperatures, low annual temperatures, and the annual precipitation since 1965.

Determine the average for the 50-year period (see instruction attachment for help) for each variable.

Determine the difference from the 50-year average for each year.

Create a graph for the difference.

In a Word document, explain your assessment of the differences from 1965 to 2015 for each of the three variables.

Answer the following questions:

View the animation. Assess the differences from 1884 to 2011. What areas of the world seem to have changed the most?

How has it changed in your part of the world?

Review the anomaly map. Choose one anomaly outside the US and explain the situation, when, where, and why it was abnormal.

In your birthplace, where ever in the world it is, briefly describe the major weather anomalies in the past decade.

Attach both the Microsoft Word and Excel files in the assignment area.

Your paper should meet the following requirements:

3-4 pages in length (excluding the Excel worksheet)

1-2 outside sources

Formatted according to the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements.