Identify cloud types and their characteristics

Description

Synoptic and Mesoscale Analysis of Satellite Images 2018 Course

Length: 64 min

Author: Veronika Zwatz-Meise (former ZAMG)

Content

Cyclogenesis and occlusion cloud bands are common meteorological phenomena which are tightly connected. While “cyclogenesis” is a process, describing the development of a low centre, which can last from few hours to several days, the occlusion cloud bands are the result of this cyclogenesis process. Occlusion cloud bands differ from cold and warm front bands because of their history as well as their physical status.
The two lectures start from the classical cyclogenesis (occlusion) processes which are related to the classical polar front theory and introduce then the conveyor belt view of these processes culminating in the warm and cold conveyor belt occlusion types.
The occlusion cloud band types are described and compared to cold and warm front types in their horizontal as well as vertical depiction.
Also special subtypes of occlusion processes like “instant occlusion” and "cold air development" are mentioned.

 

Go to webcast

Lecture slides

Description

Synoptic and Mesoscale Analysis of Satellite Images 2018 Course

Length: 72 min

Author: Ab Maas (former KNMI)

Content

Fronts as described in the "Bergen school" by Vilhelm Bjerknes are early conceptual models. Parameters typical for the changing of air masses were named and used by forecasters to recognize transition zones (fronts) between air masses. For nearly a century the method from the Bergen school is applied in the majority of weather rooms all over the world. Satellite information expressed how right Bjerknes was in his CM thinking, but this information showed also that fronts can have a much more complicated structure and live cycle Bjerknes could imagine.
In the lecture we concentrate on warm- and cold fronts and show how we can analyze them with help of CM thinking.
It's not only fronts that forecasters should always keep an eye on, but also the frontal sub-structures like upper waves, front intensifications or newly developing systems. NWP models sometimes catch the situation, sometimes not. Especially for rapid or small scale developments, model performance may leave a lot of gaps in the processes.

 

Go to webcast

Lecture slides

Description

Synoptic and Mesoscale Analysis of Satellite Images 2018 Course

Length: 56 min

Author: Ab Maas (former KNMI)

 

Content

Getting a good, actual weather picture within short time is essential for a forecaster who has to react quickly and adequately on weather changing's.

The huge amount of weather data which are available makes it almost impossible for a human being to handle. Thinking in conceptual models is the only way to deal with this problem

Within 20 years of the project fifty-three different conceptual models were described in a manual: Sat Manu. Also for the southern hemisphere, we have already fifteen CM's described.

 

Go to webcast

Lecture slides

Description

Length: 55 min

Authors: Andreas Wirth, Yasmin Markl (ZAMG)

Content

The lecture continues on the material from the second chapter of the course that concerned fronts, convection, low cloudiness, atmospheric waves and all types of clouds associated with those processes. In the first part Andreas goes over the Norwegian school once again and through some convective cases. Yasmin later on goes through low cloudiness and fog cases and the lecture finishes with gravity waves.

 

Go to webcast

Lecture slides

Description

Roland Winkler talks about rules and regulations that are in place at airports to provide passenger security in harsh winter weather.

Content

The weather still has a major impact on aviation today. Weather forecasts in aviation not only support safety, but also provide important input on the subject of economical air traffic. As part of this presentation, I would like to give a rough overview of how air traffic works in the cold season. I will speak about de- and anti-icing of aircraft and the snow removal in the airside area. Finally, I will show which meteorological products are created to support safe and economical air traffic.

Go to Webcast...

Lecture slides...

Description

In this presentation Tomaš Pučik and Christoph Gatzen explore different regimes under which ingredients come together and create marginal CAPE setups typical of winter

Content

Forecasting deep-moist convection and lightning in winter is challenging, partly because it occurs outside the typical season and partly because it forms in the environments characterized by marginal buoyancy. Despite weak CAPE, winter time convective storms often pose a considerable severe weather risk given their frequent collocation with strong vertical wind shear. In this presentation we explore different regimes under which ingredients come together and create marginal CAPE setups typical of winter. These include synoptically strongly-forced situations, elevated storms and the lake-effect over the European seas.

Go to Webcast...

Lecture slides...