Meteorological Concepts: Theory & Applications

(Synoptics & Mesoscale)

Under construction.

mc01: Weather Map Analysis

1. Intro
2. Upper-air maps
   • (a) and Lessons from NOAA -https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/upper-air-charts
   • (b) including upper-air feature identification -https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/upper-air-charts/basic-wave-patterns
3. Surface maps (Also see mc05.1, below.)
   • and Lessons from NOAA -https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/synoptic
4. More feature identification (fronts, troughs, etc.)
   • (a) weather.gov Training Page -https://www.weather.gov/source/zhu/ZHU_Training_Page/Miscellaneous/chart_comparison/chart_comparison.htm
   • (b) also (Milrad, 2018: Ch 5)
5. How to Decode METARs.

mc02: How To Read Weather Maps and Cross Sections on this Website 

1. Annotated weather-map examples, with explanations.
2. Station plot models:
   • (a) Surface: Covered in detail below, in section mc05.1.
     Also see: NWS (https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/stationplot.shtml). Also see textbook (Milrad 2018: Ch 2 surface)
   • (b) Upper-air (Univ. N. Iowa, a pdf download). Also see textbook (Milrad 2018: Ch 4 upper air)

mc03: Satellite Image Access & Interpretation

1. RAMMB-CIRA
2. Worldview:
• (a) Intro Tutorial , and Tutorial on Satellite detection of "hot spots" ,
• (b) Video snippet: Demo by Chris Rodell to compare images on two dates ,
• (c) Lab Exercise on WorldView
3. Multispectral composite imagery using RGB displays, and other automated satellite products .
4. xxx

mc04: Extra-tropical (mid-latitude) Cyclones

1. Intro: Cyclone Evolution & Movement
2. Cyclolysis - Boundary Layer Drag Kills Cyclones (with a review of geostrophic wind)
3. Cyclogenesis - Part 1: Divergence Aloft
4. Cyclogenesis - Part 2: East of Rossby-wave Troughs (with a review of Rossby waves)
5. Cyclogenesis - Part 3: Vertical Tilting and Stacking (with a review of the hypsometric eq. and virtual T)
6. Cyclogenesis - Part 4: Jet Streaks
7. Cyclogenesis - Part 5: Mountain Lee Effects (with a review of vorticity)
8. Quasi-geostrophic (QG) Theory for Cyclones (vorticity tendency [& Laplacian tips], height tendency, and omega eqs.)
9. Cyclogenesis - Part 6: Thermodynamic Effects & Cyclone Bombs (with diabatic QG height-tendency discussion)
10. Ascent in Cyclones: Trenberth omega eq. (read Stull p458); and Q-vectors (read Stull sections 13.5.3, 13.7.3 and Lackmann p48-50)
11. Cyclogenesis - Part 7: Big-Picture Summary Graphics, including conveyor belts

mc05: Fronts

1. Intro: analyzing fronts on wx maps
   • (a) Map analysis instructions, (b) Idealized lab exercise for T and P and frontal analysis (see instructions on the maps, then use both maps together to determine frontal locations and types)
   • (c) Station plot model: generic , (d) key variables , (e) example , (•) glyphs used on maps (or pdf version)
   • (f) Simplified surface map for hand analysis lab exercise (draw isopleths for P = 100.8, 101.2, 101.6, 102.0, 102.4 kPa; and T = 20, 30, ... 80°C, label high and low pressure centers, cold and hot centers, and fronts)
   • (g) Actual surface map (different date) for hand analysis lab exercise (draw isopleths for P = 100.0, 100.4, 100.8, 101.2, 101.6 kPa; and T = 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65°C, label high and low pressure centers, cold and hot centers, and fronts)
2. Surface fronts: horizontal and vertical structure. (Read Stull p389, and section 12.3. Read Lackmann sections 6.1 and 6.4.0 - 6.4.2.)
3. Why fronts exist: Creation of barclinic zones (read Stull section 13.7.4) and geostrophic adjustment (Read Stull section 12.4)
4. Mid-tropospheric (occluded) fronts and TROWALs. (Read Stull section 12.6. Read Lackman section 6.4.3.)
5. Upper-tropospheric fronts. (Read Stull section 12.8. Read Lackman section 6.5.)
6. Frontogenesis. Kinematic & thermodynamic (Read Stull 12.5.1-12.5.2, and Lackmann 6.2);
   and dynamic (Read Stull 12.5.3 and Lackmann 6.3)
7. Misc.: dry lines, bent-back fronts, sting jets, arctic fronts, instant occlusions, coastal fronts. (Read Stull 12.7, 12.9, and Lackman 6.4.1.3, 6.4.3.3 & 6.4.4)
8. [ECCC doesn't need this:
   Q-vector understanding of fronts (Review Stull section 13.5.3, then read Stull section 13.7.5). Interpretation:
   • Frontogenesis occurs where Q-vectors cross isentropes (lines of constant potential temperature) from cold toward warm;
   • Updrafts occur where Q-vectors converge, such as at diffluence regions near the leading edge of cold fronts. ]

mc06: Humidity, Temperature, Clouds, Boundary Layers & Smoke Dispersion

1. Humidity Fundamentals
2. Temperature, potential temperature, virtual temperature
3. Convective cumuliform vs. upslope stratiform clouds
4. Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) and smoke-dispersion fundamentals
5. Dispersion - Gaussian Plume fundamentals
6. HYSPLIT Dispersion model

mc07: Soundings, Thunderstorms & PyroCb

1. Mandatory and significant levels
2. Plotting on tephigrams (EC large; and PrMet small ) and skew-T diagrams
3. Feature identification (mixed layer top, tropopause, etc.)
4. Static and dynamic stability and turbulence
5. Thunderstorm Convection (CAPE, CIN, indices)
6. Emagram illustrating equivalent theta and web-bulb theta
7. Pyrocumulonimbus (PyroCb) = Cumulonimbus Flammagenitus

mc08: How to Give Weather Briefings

1. Tips for short (10 min) weather briefings for Vancouver.
2. Fire Weather Briefing: A good example by Neal McLoughlin, BC Wildfire Service. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHgrCZDgAE8
3. Fire Weather Briefing: A good example by Jalena Bennett, UBC.

mc09: Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP)

1. NWP Fundamentals.
2. Description of the NWP process. Read Stull, 2018: Practical Meteorology, Chapter 20.
3. COMET modules on government and research NWP models worldwide
4. Ensemble NWP , Probabilistic Forecasts , Interpretation & Pitfalls ,
5. Data Assimilation
6. Table of NWP models (as of Dec 2023; draft Excel file) .

mc10: Coupled NWP - Fire Behavior Models

1. WRF-SFIRE
   • Video showing application to the FASMEE prescribed / experimental burn.
2. xx
3. xx

mc11: Weather Forecasting

1. COMET Module: Tactical Fire Weather Forecasting .
2. xx
3. xx

mc12: Regional & Mountain Winds

1. Downslope Windstorms: Foehn, Chinook, Santa-Ana, Diablo (Stull, 2018: Practical Meteorology, Chapter 17, section 17.10)
2. Mountain Waves (Stull, 2018: Practical Meteorology, Chapter 17, section 17.7)
3. xx

mc13: Climate

1. Climate Change vs. Wildfires .
2. xx
3. xx

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