12 th Annual Northern Plains Workshop, Bismarck, ND, 8-9 April 2008 Sounding Analysis and Research Tools: What is used at Rapid City? Matthew J. Bunkers NOAA/NWS, Rapid City, SD

Motivation Do you like this graph?Or this one? 2

Motivation Do you want to make charts like this? 3

Outline Plot and analyze a hodograph Create a precipitable water chart Tell you where to get the tools 4

Hodograph 1.Get data – or radiosonde database on CD-ROMshttp://raob.fsl.noaa.gov 2.Run C program – hodo.c –Need UNIX/Linux 3.Plot in spreadsheet – Excel graph –Customize, analyze, print, save image 5

Hodograph – Get data 6 6/6/04: nm NW of BIS Ord: 30 kts RM: 26 kts LM: 47 kts

Hodograph – Get data 7 Plus Radiosonde Database of North America CD-ROMs (1948  mid 1990s)

Hodograph – Get data 8

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Hodograph – C program 10

Hodograph – C program 11

Hodograph – Excel spreadsheet 12 Ord: 30 kts RM: 26 kts LM: 47 kts

Precipitable water 1.Get data – or radiosonde database on CD-ROMshttp://raob.fsl.noaa.gov 2.Run C program – pw.c 3.Plot in spreadsheet – Excel graph –Customize, analyze, print, save image 13

Precipitable water – Get data 14 Plus Radiosonde Database of North America CD-ROMs (1948  mid 1990s)

Precipitable water – Get data 15

Precipitable water – Get data 16 May have to concatenate several files; put 999 at end

Precipitable water – pw.c Compile this program just like hodo.c –See comments within program 17

Precipitable water – Excel spreadsheet 18

Where do I get this? convectM.c –Computes multiple sounding variables 19 Bulk1Bulk2Bulk3Bulk4Bulk5Bulk6Bulk7Bulk8SRH1SRH2SRH3YearMoDyHr

Wrap-up These programs provide opportunity for nice graphics and climatological studies Garbage input soundings = garbage output variables I don’t provide “official” support New variables don’t get added quickly 20

Thanks for your attention! 21