Apparatus and methods for passively and remotely and continuously
locating, monitoring, and measuring present weather and nowcasting and
forecasting weather and meteorological phenomena and parameters by
utilizing observations of infrared emissions and reflections are
disclosed. Based on observations of an instrument such as an infrared
noncontact thermometer, the methods provide useful information on the
presence of aerosol, dust, cloud, and precipitation for the purpose of
determining present weather, weather tracking, weather nowcasting, and
weather forecasting as well as other weather phenomena. One embodiment of
this invention is an infrared sensor pointed vertically and reflected
from a suitable mirror rotating about a vertical axis such that the field
of view of the sensor scans azimuthally at an elevated angle above the
horizon.