- 1). Take weather readings. These values might include temperature (recorded from a thermometer), atmospheric pressure (from a barometer), wind direction (from a weather vane or windsock), wind speed (from an anemometer), relative humidity (from a hygrometer) and others. Many of the tools required can be acquired inexpensively, but you can also get the information from other sources: websites like the National Weather Service's, for example, or your local news broadcast, forecasts of which will likely include all of the above information.
- 2). Observe the sky. Learn to recognize different types of clouds like cumulus, stratus and cirrus---and their potential significance. For example, you can easily learn to identify small cumulus---they are the puffy, "cotton candy"-looking clouds that form many people's conception of a "typical" sky. One day, you may observe these cumulus puffs appear in the middle afternoon; this pattern very likely corresponds to fair, stable weather. The next day, if more unsettled conditions are present, you may spot the same clouds in the morning or early afternoon---setting the stage for possible development of cumulonimbus, or thunderstorm clouds. This simple comparison of the type and extent of cloud cover in association with long-term weather now makes you a more formidable amateur forecaster.
- 3). Use vocabulary to define weather phenomena. The statistics of atmospheric activity are undeniably important, but so, too, are your more subjective observations. You can bone up on an established metric like the Beaufort Scale. This chart classifies the progression of wind intensification, from calm air---when smoke ascends in a straight line---to moderate breezes---where dust rises and twigs begin wafting---to gale-force winds and beyond. When comparing your own local weather, what matters is your perception. If you're keeping a weather log, describe a particular rainfall: Is it "pounding" rain? Or just a drizzle? Maintain a standard and your comparisons will gain validity.
- 4). Study weather reports. Compare what was forecast with what actually transpired. The National Weather Service includes a detailed forecast discussion with its predictions; though the language can be technical, skimming this text can lend you a deeper understanding of the air movements behind the immediate pattern. Knowing the direction of prevailing weather for a particular time of year, and watching sky conditions as fronts move through, you can begin to link your empirical observations with seasonally predictable cycles of climate.
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