Understanding Pressure Readings

What is high or low barometric pressure? Adjusted to sea level, a pressure reading above 30.2 inHg is considered to be high pressure, and below 29.8 inHg is considered low. Most of the time, in human-inhabited places, the barometric pressure will stay close to the normal range (29.8 inHg-30.2 inHg), and will rarely exceed 30.5 inHg or fall below 29.4 inHg. The average barometric pressure is 29.92 inHg (or 1 atmosphere!). In summary:

High Pressure: above 30.2 inHg
Normal Range: 29.8 inHg - 30.2 inHg
Low Pressure: below 29.8 inHg

However, only looking at the barometric pressure at a given time is not as helpful as seeing it in the context of the change in pressure. Meteorologists care more about changes in barometric pressure, which is why you will often see an arrow pointing up or down, or the words “rising” or “falling”, next to a pressure reading in a weather app. Barometricpressure.app is designed to help you visualize these changes in pressure.