Weather Journal Tracking Project

A dedicated notebook for your weather journal

An outdoor thermometer

A cloud identification chart (print one or save on your phone)

A pencil

A rain gauge (optional but adds data quality)

Set up your journal. Create a table with columns: Date, Time, Temperature, Wind Direction, Wind Strength (calm/light/moderate/strong), Cloud Type, Precipitation, and Notes.

Commit to recording twice daily — morning (around 8 AM) and evening (around 5 PM). Go outside, observe, and write everything down. This discipline is what separates casual looking from real science.

Learn three basic cloud types: Cumulus (fluffy cauliflower shapes — fair weather), Stratus (flat grey layers — often means drizzle), Cirrus (thin wispy streaks high up — often signal weather change coming). This alone makes you a better observer than most adults.

Estimate wind: hold a wet finger up. The cool side faces the wind direction. Watch trees — still = calm, leaves rustling = light, branches moving = moderate, whole trees swaying = strong.

Record precipitation honestly. Not just "rain" — light drizzle? Heavy downpour? How long did it last? If you have a rain gauge, measure accumulation.

After two weeks, analyze. Graph temperatures over time. What was the warmest day? Coldest? Did cloud types predict the next day's weather? Try forecasting: "Cirrus clouds today means the barometric pressure is dropping. I predict rain within 24-48 hours."

Consistency is everything. Even on boring, clear days, record the data. The patterns only emerge with complete records.

Compare your observations to the official forecast. Were you more accurate? Where did you differ?

Extend to a month if your child is engaged. Monthly data reveals even more patterns — pressure systems, temperature trends, seasonal shifts.

This is exactly what meteorologists do, just with more sophisticated instruments. Your child is practicing real science.