Atmos 5110/6110: Lab I

Objectives

  • Reload your memory banks from a summer of inactivity
  • Learn the department computer system and meteorological analysis software

     

    Part 1

    Go to the Unidata IDV workshop web site and work through the items under section 3.0 to 3.4. In particular, learn how to load gridded data, select a field, and display it in verious forms. Learn how to access satellite and radar imagery and how to change color tables. Produce the following plots to turn in: (1) GFS 500-hPa geopotential height contours overlayed on the GOES-WEST satellite image and (2) Lowest tilt (usually 0.5 degree) radar reflectivity from a NEXRAD radar with precipitation.

     

    Part 2

    Learn how to access and manipulate the Real-Time-Wx bundles available in the IDV drop-down menu. Answer the following questions:
    • What fields are available in the Real-Time-Wx->Analyses->Supernationalbundle?
    • What color are the 500-mb height contours in the Real-Time-Wx->Analyses->Supernationalbundle?
    • What other colors are available if you needed to change it for better viewing?
    • What color table is used by default for radar reflectivity in the Real-Time-Wx->Radar->KMTX-2D-BREFonly bundle.
    • What color is assigned to a reflectivity of 35 to 40 dBZ?

    Part 3

    Go to the MesoWest web site and get comfortable plotting data and analyzing time series. Create a personal account and save map profiles of the Intermountain region, northern Utah, and the Salt Lake Valley/Cottonwood Canyons for future use in map discussions. Answer the following questions:
    • What is the elevation of the Alta-Collins observing site in meters?
    • What was the snow depth at Alta-Collins at 1200 local time on March 10, 2019?
    • What time did a frontal passage occur at the Salt Lake City International Airport on April 15, 2002. Create a meteogram and identify the frontal passage.

       

    Part 4

    Send your answers via electronic file to Mike via e-mail (m.wessler at utah.edu).

     

    Part 5 (strongly recommended suggestion for doing well in this class)

    Become skillful using the iMacs for weather analysis and forecasting. This will make the rest of this class, Weather Discussion, Synoptic II, and Weather Analysis and Forecasting much easier in the long run. Plus it is fun!