METR 360 (Weather Analysis and Forecasting I)

Fall, 2016

Syllabus

Lab workbook (pdf - requires Adobe Reader)

Lake Effect,  Lab 9

Radiosonde launch Sep 14

Assignments

Read and discuss the article “With iPhones and computer models, do we still need weather forecasters?” 

Special Assignment for Sept 30

IDV Nor'easter lab

Sample Exams (these are the exams given last year)

Sample Exam 1

Sample Exam 2

Sample Final Exam

 

Fall 2016 exams
Exam 1

 Exam 2

Final Exam

Lecture Topics

Norwegian Cyclone Model Review

Lecture PowerPoint

Schematic of a mature cyclone

(following Bjerknes and Solberg)

 

Fronts

Lecture PowerPoint

Cold front:  features and schematic cross section

Warm front:  features and schematic cross section

Margules' formula for slopes of fronts

Analyzing fronts

 

Stability

Lecture PowerPoint

Sample skew-T log-P diagrams:

Examples (from NCAR-RAP):

Stable lapse rate

Albany (Abs. stable)

Absolutely unstable lapse rate

Flagstaff (Abs. unstable)

Conditionally unstable lapse rate

Miami (Conditionally unstable)

    

Upper Air

Lecture PowerPoint

   

Air Masses

Cold Air Damming PowerPoint

Lake Effect PowerPoint

 Lake Effect lab


Guidance

Lecture PowerPoint

Decoding NAM MOS (from NWS)

Decoding GFS short range MOS (from NWS)

Decoding GFS extended range MOS (from NWS)


Waves in the Westerlies (Rossby waves)

Lecture PowerPoint

Here are some places to view hemispheric upper air maps and see the waves:

300 mb from Unisys

University of Wyoming (with 5-year archive)

Penn. State (N. Hemisphere 500 hPa and MSL)

Ensemble hemispheric 500 mb forecast, next two weeks

     

Vertical Motion

Lecture PowerPoint

   
       

Potential Vorticity (cyclogenesis)

Lecture Powerpoint

Blizzard of 1888 (from Kocin article)

Snow totals

March 9-10 surface maps

March 11-12 surface maps

March 13-14 surface maps

Summary of Potential Vorticity conservation (cyclogenesis)
For Lab 11: Unidata home page (Pull down menu for downloads to get the IDV. You must register but it's free and safe.)


Jet Streams

Lecture PowerPoint

 

Click to go to the Meteorology Club home page