In a small building in the city's d

In a small building in the city's downtown area, Tony is surprised to find an army of meteorologists carefully studying the latest weather "surprises" with computerized charts. The phone rings constantly as local residents call in to hear updates on the weather and to double-check forecasts that they heard on the news.

Meteorologists are not the only ones who look for unusual signs. TV weather reporter Ross Lindy recalls, "My mother used to say that it was going to rain every time the cows lay down in the fields, and she was always right!" Many older people have their own "methods" of predicting the weather, but nowadays things are more scientific. In fact, it is surprising how even a child can make day-to-day prediction with just a little bit of information. So how is weather actually forecast?