Swimmer's Help

How to Understand Weather Data

(printable version)

When venturing out to the beach, it is also important to understand the atmospheric weather conditions and the latest weather forecast. You should also be aware of any National Weather Service warnings for stormy weather or unusually high UV radiation.

Here's some brief information to help you interpret our data.

What is a Meteorological Tower?

Our Meteorological tower is located at our field station near the southern tip of Long Beach Island in Tuckerton, New jersey. It contains many of the same instruments that your average TV weather person uses to tell you the current weather conditions.

What Instruments are on the Tower?

1. Temperature - The Air temperature in Tuckerton
2. Humidity - A measure of how much moisture is in the air relative to the temperature. Muggy days will near 100%, while days around 50% feel dry.
3. Wind Speed - Denotes the average speed of winds 30 feet off the ground
4. Wind Direction - Shows the direction that winds are blowing based on a compass rose.
5. Solar Radiation - A measure of how sunny it is. The higher the value the more the sun is shining and fewer clouds are in the sky. Sporadic values indicate cloudy days.

You can also lean more about the Met Tower.