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Weather forecasters use new ways to see weather, not out the window, but on a computer screen. While that may seem odd, a backyard glance of the sky is nothing compared to the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System, or AWIPs as it's very well known among forecasters around the country, like John Jensenius at the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine.

The Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) is the integrating element of the National Weather Service Modernization Program. Litton/PRC

JJ: "We're sitting at the AWIPS terminal now which is our main display terminal where we can display all sorts of information. Things like the radar maps, the satellite pictures, our upper air soundings, our weather balloon information. We can display surface observations, lightning data, and we can display the computer models."

One thing we took a look at was humidity:

JJ: "I'm going to load it as an image, so we can look at it as various colors of humidity."

DT: "So, this is something familiar. Different shades."

JJ: "Different Shades..."

DT: "For different humidities."

JJ: "For different humidities. Right now I'm looking at a map that has green areas where the moist air is and brownish color where the more arid areas or the dry air."

And if colors aren't enough there's always the real pictures:

DT: "And so, is there a way to look at it kind of in...oh, something like that...a radar interpretation? I see."

JJ: "A satellite picture we can look at what's actually going on. In fact, we can see a little more of the information here and get a better picture of what's going on throughout the northeast.

And that's just what the computer system does, it gives a better picture, a complete picture of what's going on outside the window, so the forecasting process can start off with a precise description of the weather now so it can better forecast the future.

Thanks to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Science Foundation.