It's Pi Day! How Pi is used in meteorology

(CBS DETROIT) - Pi is a mathematical constant with over 50 trillion digits beyond the decimal point, so we will stick with the rounded number 3.14. That number relates to March 14, the day we celebrate PI Day.

This is a very special day for many, but what exactly is Pi?

READ: What is Pi Day? Things to know about the holiday celebrating an iconic mathematical symbol

Pi is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. The diameter of a circle is from one side to the next, and the circumference is the distance around the entire circle. Think about it as a pie: the crust is the circumference, and the filling is the diameter across. It's known that a circle is slightly more than three times its width, around 3.14, and because Pi is represented as a constant, it will be the same no matter what the circle is.

Now, you may be wondering how Pi relates to weather. Meteorology is an evolving physical and atmospheric science. Believe it or not, meteorology's building blocks are made up of math, physics, and science. Think about it: the atmosphere is 3-dimensional!

Referencing back to my meteorology classes, the infinite number Pi is used to help understand the atmosphere's behavior. Pi appears in weather equations used by numerical weather prediction models, where those weather models help drive my forecast.

Pi is represented not only in weather models but also in radar! It helps compute the radar beam characteristics and values returned to radar, like reflectivity. 

Pi Day is celebrated all over the world. To represent Pi and STEM fields, Science, technology, engineering, and math. 

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Kylee Miller

Kylee Miller is designated as a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist by the American Meteorological Society. You can watch her weekdays on CBS Detroit.