How to read the weather
- 1Check the forecast before you go — plan around it, and postpone for severe weather.
- 2Watch the clouds through the day — note cumulus building into tall towers; a darkening, anvil-topped cumulonimbus means a thunderstorm is coming.
- 3Read the trend — high, wispy cirrus thickening and lowering often means a front and change on the way; low pressure and rising cloud = deteriorating weather.
- 4Note mountain afternoons — in many mountain areas storms build in the afternoon; summit early and be heading down before they form.
- 5Act early on the signs — don't wait for the first strike; turn back, descend, or seek shelter while you still have time.
- 6Shelter correctly — a building or car if possible; otherwise a low spot away from gullies, tall trees, water, and metal.
- 7Know watch vs. warning — a watch means prepare; a warning means act now.
When to use it
- Every hike and campout — a five-second look at the sky can prevent being caught in a storm.
- Exposed terrain (ridgelines, peaks, open water), where getting caught out is most dangerous.
- Teaching cloud-reading so scouts see weather coming instead of being surprised by it.
Common mistakes & safety
- A cumulonimbus means lightning — treat it as a threat. When a thunderstorm is building, act early: get off exposed ground and to shelter before it arrives.
- Shelter low, away from tall objects, water, and metal. If caught out, become the smallest target in a low spot — but avoid gullies and stream beds (flash-flood risk).
- Flash floods rise fast. Don't camp or shelter in gullies or dry washes; intense rain uphill can flood them with little warning — get to higher ground.
- Turn back — the summit will be there next time. The most dangerous decision is pushing on into building weather.
- Watch = prepare, Warning = act. Respond to a warning immediately.
- Weather is a planning item — check the forecast and pack rain/wind/cold gear for changes.
Going deeper
- Cumulonimbus = the storm cloud. Learn to spot the tall, dark, anvil-topped tower — the single most important cloud for a hiker's safety.
- Clouds tell the trend. High wispy cirrus thickening and lowering often means rain in a day or so; puffy cumulus building vertically through the day means storms by afternoon.
- "Climb high, be down by noon." In storm-prone mountains, do the exposed part early and be descending before afternoon build-up.
Official source
Weather merit badge study guide — NOAA / National Weather Service →See Lightning & Storm Procedure for the detailed lightning rules.