| By :
Roger Brown
Wristwatches with altimeters are a nearly required thing to have along on a walking trip or any adventure that takes you up in the mountains or over uneven terrain. Also, they allow you to forecast the weather - I will clarify how. If you utilize a map with terrain features to pinpoint your position then you can make use of the watch to triangulate, or provide you with a little more data than just GPS position to ensure what your location is. As far as the weather goes, this is how you can use watches with altimeters to predict the weather - the barometric pressure information that drives the altimeter provides you with clues regarding approaching weather changes. Here's what the readings from the barometric pressure function will tell you: * When the barometric pressure is going down, you can expect storms of some kind - either rain, high winds, ice, etc. * If the barometric pressure reading is going up, you can count on nice, low humidity weather (maybe colder, too). * If the barometric pressure lowers slowly, that indicates a front is passing somewhere not too far away. Your weather will probably stay about the same for the present. * Short and quicker reductions in pressure are a good indicator that your weather is about to change - possibly accompanied by wind and rain. * If pressure drops a lot in a brief period of time you are most likely in for a long storm (hours). * If the pressure on watches with altimeters is dropping slowly, that usually means you are in for a sustained period of lousy weather. * If you see the barometric pressure on your altimeter watch rising then falling, that means your weather will likely be more starkly contrasted. * If your weather is good and you get a spike, or a quick rise in barometric pressure, that means a low pressure area is coming your way. The next thing you will likely see is a fast drop in pressure and a lot worse weather. * If your pressure reading is rising fast when it is relatively low, your weather will be good, but only for a relatively short period of time. * If pressure rises slowly over a long period, then you are in for some nice weather! For those of us who use watches with altimeters, all this information is available with the push of a button! Having this data available is so important when you're dealing with the great outdoors exposed to the elements. They can make all the difference in the world in terms of your safety.
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