If you are willing to spend time in class looking at weather data (using the links provided here or using your own favorite online sources of weather data), you could discuss the students' forecasts as a way of illustrating weather concepts in the curriculum. For example, you could show that storms and precipitation are generally associated with low pressure areas, and you could look at the difference in conditions (temperature, dew point, cloudiness, wind) ahead of and behind a cold front. Here are some possible ways that the forecasting contest could be used if you would like to incorporate it as a part of your class time:

1. Pick one or two days of the week, and spend time with the class discussing the forecast for tomorrow. Look at the pressure pattern, satellite and radar data, National Weather Service (NWS) and other forecasts, etc. Then the students can make their forecasts (in class or later). Check the next day to see how the forecasts are doing so far, and then follow up the next day to evaluate how the forecasts came out, and to discuss what really happened and why.
2. Monitor the NWS forecasts (shown on the Tomorrow tab) during the week, and when tomorrow looks like an interesting weather day (e.g. precipitation or a big temperature change), have the class submit forecasts. Check the next day to see how the forecasts are doing so far, and then follow up the next day to evaluate how the forecasts came out, and to discuss what really happened and why.
3. Focus on one of the forecast variables at a time. On one day, discuss the low temperature forecast in detail (e.g. how does the wind speed and the presence or absence of cloud cover affect it?). On another day, focus only on the high temperature or the precipitation.

You could use the contest as a fun change-of-pace activity, for extra credit, or as an opportunity for student projects:

1. Simply ask the students to forecast every day for a week or more and let them describe their experiences.
2. Give students extra credit for participation (by looking at the total number of forecasts) and maybe partly for performance (by looking at the Forecaster Rating and the number of day, week and month wins). But be careful of using their forecast performance for grading, because some days are much more difficult than others, and beginning forecasters often make mistakes, such as predicting precipitation amounts much too high (in most places, daily precipitation amounts of an inch or greater only occur a few times a year).
3. Assign students to watch the local news and enter the high and low temperatures for one or more TV stations (or radio stations, or the forecast shown in the newspaper) into the contest, then see how well they perform.

Although any registered user can submit a forecast for any site, most people will want to forecast for the National Weather Service observing site (usually an airport or military base) closest to them. But if the weather where you live is a bit boring right now, or if you want to use the contest as a way to learn about other climates or other types of weather, here are some things you could do:

1. If you're discussing different climate types, have the students submit a forecast for different sites (Key West or Honolulu for tropical, Fairbanks for arctic, Seattle for marine, Bismarck, North Dakota for continental, Yuma, Arizona for desert, etc.).
2. Look at the current weather and have the students forecast for a location where interesting weather is happening or is about to happen (snowstorm, severe weather outbreak, record heat or cold).
3. Allow each student to choose any site, submit forecasts and discuss how the weather there is different.

Feel free to share your experiences and suggestions by adding a comment to this page!