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An Introduction to Weather Map Symbols and Terminology

By Rachelle Oblack, About.com

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Precipitation - Weather Map Symbols Used by Meteorologists

Precipitation Symbols

Weather maps and weather station models use su=ymbols for indicating precipitation.

NASA Ames Research Center
When reporting rain to a local area, meteorologists need a universal way to indicate the conditions they observe. The weather map symbols for rain, snow, sleet, hail, and more can be seen in the diagram. These often do not show up on your evening news, but a meteorologist will use these to communicate the information nationally.

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