Plain English Meaning
A small picture-like cluster of numbers and symbols on a weather chart that shows what the weather is doing at one specific reporting location. Each piece of information sits in a set spot around a central circle, so a trained reader can glance at it and know temperature, wind, pressure, sky cover, and other conditions at that station.
Full Definition
A standardized graphic symbol plotted on a surface analysis chart at the location of a weather reporting station, showing that station's observed weather data — including temperature, dew point, wind direction and speed, sky cover, sea level pressure, pressure change, and current weather — using a fixed arrangement of numbers and symbols around a central circle.
Context Anchor
Seen on surface analysis charts, where each reporting location is shown with its local weather conditions.
Derivation
‘Station’ refers to a weather reporting station — a fixed location where observations are taken. ‘Model’ here means a standardized template or pattern. Together: a standard pattern used to display one station’s observation. Knowing this helps because it isn’t a 3D model or a scale model — it’s a layout.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots use station models to quickly see weather trends across a region and decide whether conditions support safe departure, en route flight, or arrival.
Grounding Statement
On a weather chart, each station model lets you look at one location and quickly picture the weather being reported there.
Intuition Check
Do not read station model as a model of a building or airport station. Here, station means a weather reporting location, and model means the compact symbol layout used to show that location's weather.
Example Sentence 1
Looking at the station model over his destination, he saw the wind barb pointing from the southwest at about fifteen knots and a temperature of 72.
Example Sentence 2
Checking the station model along the route revealed falling pressure and increasing cloud cover ahead of the flight.