Weather Merit Badge Resources

 

Are you going on the a troop camping trip, to Philmont or on a Sea Base high adventure Florida Keys, Bahamas, St. Thomas sailing, snorkeling trip and thinking, I'll bet I could do most of the requirements for the Weather Merit Badge?  You are RIGHT!  Certainly!  You will be outdoors... where you can observe weather! Heck, you might even get to experience getting drenched in a downpour, or baked in teh hsun!  All the fun of trying to survive the weather!  OK, just kidding, but obviously, being outside is a big part of learning about weather!

Here's what you could get learn about and - possibly - get signed off on the Weather Merit Badge, if your counselor is present!

Be sure to get your Blue Card and a counselor assigned BEFORE you leave! Then document completion of anything you do on the trip.  Be prepared to show your counselor photos, if he or she is not there with you, whenever possible, to demonstrate you competency and completion  of requirements.

Note - we are NOT affiliated with BSA or Sea Base, just scouts and scouters trying to help other scouts and scouters!

Weather Merit Badge

You can find and print to bring with you,

• Weather Merit badge on Scouting.org
• the full, free PDF of the Weather Merit Badge pamphlet here.  and
• the Weather Merit Badge workbook here.

The requirements below include some you will likely be doing or could do at Sea Base, so that makes it a merit badge to work on at Sea Base.

✅ Weather Requirements you can likely complete at Sea Base

Below is a summary and checklist. The highlighted requirements could be done during Sea Base. You can learn the others while there, and if a weather merit badge counselor is there, do those, too. See the pamphlet or workbook above for details. Learn, during the trip, about those you must later explain to you counselor.

The captain of your boat may know about many of these things and be willing to explain them to you. 

⚠ Remaining requirements (less likely or need extra work - do before or after Sea Base)

These are usually discussion-based and may need a counselor session, such as any that say explain or describe. BUT you can DO others BEFORE you go, and LEARN enough during Sea Base about these to do them when get home. So, which requirements you can complete will likely depend upon what counselors and are present on your boat or with your group or crew as well as what their background and experience is.  Be sure to document anything you discuss with them and learn from them so that you can clearly explain it to your assigned merit badge counselor when you return

⛈️ Weather Merit Badge Checklist

Req	Description	Done	Initials
1	Define meteorology, explain weather vs climate, and discuss weather impacts on farmers, sailors, aviators, and construction
2	Name five dangerous weather conditions, explain outdoor safety rules, discuss watches vs warnings, and review with family
3	Identify weather forecast and emergency warning sources for outdoor activities and home use
4	Explain high and low pressure systems and draw cold and warm front cross-sections with clouds and precipitation
5	Explain causes of wind, rain, lightning, and hail
6	Identify low, middle, and high clouds and relate them to weather conditions - Take pictures!!!
7	Draw and explain the water cycle and its major processes
8	Describe human activities that alter the environment and affect climate and people
9	Explain how Earth's axial tilt affects regional climates and seasons
10a	Build weather instrument and maintain one-week weather log with observations and forecast comparisons
10b	Visit or interview weather professional and discuss severe weather hazards and warning systems in your community
11	Give five-minute talk about outdoor safety for lightning, flash floods, and tornadoes
12	Research a weather-related career including education, costs, salary, job duties, and advancement opportunities