Barometric numbers??

[NorthernRegius]

Anyone know what the average barometer reading is so I have a way to tell if it is high or low? Right now it is 29.73 where I live. Is that a high or low reading??

Um

The barometric pressure is normally measured in millibars I think?

At the moment it is 1017 where I am.

If yours is really 29.73 I hope you are reading the wrong thing.


dr del

We use inches as mentioned below, but The pressure is read to the nearest thousandth as in 29.735 or 29.730 it is rounded to the nearest .005 inch. I was an Aviation Weather forecaster for the AF for 21 years. Are you sure the reading you looking at is pressure or "station pressure" ? Altimeter settings for aircraft are done in 4 digits ie. 29.73, it makes a difference. For Altimeter settings it will be prefixed by the tern ALSTG in a weather observation.

In the U.S., we measure barometric pressure in units of inches of mercury, so pressure in the 20s is about right.

Wikipedia says that the standard 1 atm pressure is 29.53 inHg. This will vary depending on where you live, though. Here in southern AZ, we typically have higher pressure than most places in the country.

Actually for weather purposes the standard is 29.92(0)inHg. It will rise or fall as High or Low pressure systems move through an area.