ATSC 5160-5007, Synoptic Meteorology

Spring 2015

Syllabus

Lecture material supplements

Listed below are a number of ppt files and external links. This material is by no means comprehensive, rather, it supplements the course. Please do not download the files that are marked under construction () yet. I will make an effort to finalize a topic a few hours before the lecture in which that topic is discussed.

• Chapter 1
  • some slides from chapter 1 (ppt)
• covered in class: observed structure of the planetary-scale extratropical circulation, a survey (ppt)
• background reading (if unfamiliar): introduction to airmasses and fronts (ppt)
• background reading (if unfamiliar): static stability (pdf) MeTed SkewT mastery module (link)
  
•  Chapter 2: QG thinking - ageostrophic flow & vertical motion (ppt)
  
•  Chapter 3: isentropic analysis (ppt)
  
•  Chapter 4: isentropic potential vorticity (ppt)
  • Jim Moore's MetEd module on isentropic analysis
    
•  Chapter 5: extratropical cyclones (ppt)
  
•  Chapter 6: fronts (ppt)
  • Jim Moore's MetEd module on frontogenetical circulations and stability
  • Jim Moore's Meted module on jet streak circulations
    
• Chapter 7: baroclinic-symmetric instability (ppt)
  • an operational approach to slantwise convection (Kent Johnson) plus the accompanying case exercise  

Homework assignments

These will be updated 

• HW 1 (answer)

• HW 2 (answer)  

• HW 3 (answer)   

• HW 4 (answer)  

Lab materials

• WRF simulations of the 2012/12/20 snow storm

• synoptic overview

• WRF assignment

• useful links:

  • Dr. Parish's WRF lab (ATSC5004)

  • gempak grid diagnostic functions

  • softlink

  • add_variable_to_wrf_output.ncl

• Lab assignments based on your WRF simulation (pls don't work ahead of schedule)

  • Lab 1   

  • Lab 2 

  • Lab 3   

  • Lab 4  

  • Lab 5   

  • Lab 6    

  • Lab 7    

  • Lab 8

     

Some useful weather links