Skew-T Revisited

The Skew-T log-p diagram, typically just called a Skew-T, is an amazing tool for understanding whats happening in the atmosphere at a given station. They are essential for understanding a precipitation regime or differentiating icing layers. Even after nearly three decades in meteorology I would find it almost impossible to understand an icing situation without this tool, and I often visualize the makeup of an environment with a sort of mental Skew-T image. I cant underscore how valuable these diagrams are once you get to know them.

Tim Vasquez

Tuesday, October 01, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The Skew-T log-p diagram is an essential meteorological tool that graphically displays observed atmospheric temperature, dewpoint, and wind data against height/pressure at a given station.
Its unique "skewed" grid allows for clearer visualization of vertical temperature changes, making it invaluable for understanding atmospheric conditions, identifying icing layers, predicting turbulence, and analyzing precipitation.
The diagram comprises lines for environmental temperature and dewpoint (from weather balloons), often includes hypothetical parcel data to indicate atmospheric stability, and features wind barbs to show wind direction and speed at different altitudes.

See a mistake? Contact us.

In our September 2018 issue, Luca Bencini-Tibo gave us an excellent introduction to Skew-T log-p diagrams. In this article I’ll give you a short refresher and help link all of this with actual weather situations you might see.

The Skew-T log-p diagram, typically just called a “Skew-T,” is an amazing tool for understanding what’s happening in the atmosphere at a given station. They are essential for understanding a precipitation regime or differentiating icing layers. Even after nearly three decades in meteorology I would find it almost impossible to understand an icing situation without this tool, and I often visualize the makeup of an environment with a sort of mental Skew-T image. I can’t underscore how valuable these diagrams are once you get to know them.