Forecasting the Motions of Cyclones and Anticyclones Using Surface and Upper-Level Charts
Procedure	Comments
(1) Assume a steady rate of motion	Usually works very well for times shorter than 6 hours
(2) Assume cyclones will move parallel to isobars in the warm sector	Of limited application, not applicable to anticyclones or  to lows with no well-defined warm sector
(3) Use isallobars.  Assume cyclones will move towards point of most        rapidly falling pressure and anticyclones will move towards point        of most rapidly rising pressure	Use isallobars based on the preceding three-hour period
(4) Consider average direction of motion for such systems at the         current time of year	Might also consider the motion of recent similar systems
(5) Assume the motion will be in the direction of 500-mb winds	Need upper-level charts to do this
Other Considerations:  (1) Strong, slow-moving highs often "block" the motions of cyclones, slowing them down, weakening them and deflecting them        to either the right or the left.  (2) Lows tend to accelerate until they occlude, then they slow down.  (3) Shifting upper-level winds often indicate cold or warm advection.  If the wind direction increases in azimuth with increasing        height, the trend is known as "veering" and indicates warm advection, e.g., a westerly surface flow with a northwest flow at        middle levels and a northerly flow at upper levels.   If the wind direction decreases in azimuth with increasing height, the        trend is known as "backing" and indicates cold advection.  Warning: Such changes may not mean much locally because of        the eddying caused by the Wasatch Range.