MTEOR 417/517 WEEK 5 SUPPORTING MATERIAL

Week 5 - Mesoscale Analysis

Instead of trying to create the smoothest image you can, try to plainly reveal small-scale features of importance

Contouring tutorial

• Excellent basic contouring tutorial - hone up on your analysis skills (Univ. of Wisc.)

  Case study with boundary

• Can you see a boundary left from previous convection?
• Note how it has become better defined
• New convection develops along boundary (and also behind it - this early morning convection is elevated)
• Boundary has several storms near or along it
• More significant convection forms near SE bulge of boundary
• Note also SW-NE rolls of cloud ahead of boundary. In a more unstable situation, intersections of these rolls with the boundary would be good initiation zones
• Would you be able to identify the boundary from this surface data alone?
• Satellite data can help show boundaries