Without technology how would forecast the weather?

Answer 1

Depends on exactly how much of a lacking of technology we're talking about. In the old days without computers, forecasters used weather instruments (thermometers, barometers, etc.) to take measurements at ground level along with weather balloons to measure conditions up in the atmosphere. This will give a basic idea of the short term weather (next day or two) although the risk is high that the forecast will not turn out correct. This is the same process that is done today, however the measurements are entered into computers that can do millions of physics equations in a short amount of time at speeds that no human could do. These millions of complex equations allow for a much more accurate forecast than relying on just a few basic equations done by a humans. The science and technology still is not adequate enough to produce an accurate forecast at all times, but the accuracy has improved significantly with computer model technology. Some may define weather instruments (thermometers, barometers, etc) as "technology"...If you consider that to be technology and take those out of the equation, then you're more or less depending on what you can feel and see. For example, you can see signs in the clouds that a storm system is approaching or that thunderstorms are getting ready to develop. You can also feel if temperatures are warming/cooling or if it's becoming more humid. These can give a half-way accurate forecast for the next few hours, but are completely useless after about 12 hours. The invention of weather instruments allowed for a very accurate forecast for the next few hours and a half-way accurate forecast up to about 2 or 3 days in advance. Now with computer model technology, it allows on average for a very accurate forecast for 2 to 3 days, with a half-way accurate forecast up to the 7 to 10 day range.