How to Do a Weather Report

Weather reports follow a certain format no matter what media you use to present them. Successful weather reporters consider what listeners need to know before deciding what information to use. For example, no one will care about the total monthly precipitation during the first week of the month unless the numbers are very abnormal.

Provide an overview of the current weather conditions. The information you should provide might include temperature, humidity, precipitation amount, barometric pressure, dew point, wind speed and direction, UV index and air quality rating. Other items you can mention are sunrise and sunset times, tides and visibility.

Mention the average high and low temperatures for the time of the year. You may also include historical information on the record highs and lows, and the years in which they occurred.

Display the satellite map of the region for the previous few hours, if you have one. Point out any storm systems or pressure fronts in the area to explain why the forecast is for a certain kind of weather, such as rain, snow or unusually high winds. Also indicate any approaching weather patterns to further support the forecast.

Go over the forecast for the next few days. For each day, you can state the expected high and low temperature; the chance of precipitation; the general expected conditions, such as mostly sunny, cold and clear, or partly cloudy; and any other warnings, such as snow, gusting winds or possible flooding.