 Wintertime ForecastingVarious data is needed to forecast winter storms. The tools a forecast might use include: All of these tools assist with short term forecasts and tracking the storm. Tracking Winter StormsForecasters track winter storms in much the same way they track any other type of weather. However, since the heaviest snow usually falls on the north, northwest or northeast side of most winter storms, the forecaster must know where and how quickly the storm is moving to know what area will get the heaviest snow.The forecaster must also know where the rain, snow, or icy areas are and how they might change over time. Will there be significant ice or freezing rain, or will it only fall for a short period as the precipitation changes from snow to rain? One of the first steps is to analyze the current conditions. Surface observations are taken each hour at various airports, military bases, and naval air stations. This enables computer-generated surface weather maps of the entire United States to be created and analyzed every 60 minutes, 24 hours a day. These observations are taken even more frequently when the weather situation dictates. Forecasters can pinpoint the exact center of a winter low pressure system by reviewing these maps and identifying areas of low pressure, wind flow patterns, surface temperatures, and dew points. | 
