Meteorology 551
Lab Exercise #1
Due: Friday 17 January
Purpose: To re-familiarize yourself with the concepts that were taught last quarter and get more familiar with METAR code. Please record the date and time period that you work on this lab exercise.
Part 1: Using Netscape, access the department's weather server (http://www.met.utah.edu) and answer the following questions:

a. What are the current, maximum, and minimum temperatures today at the University of Utah?
b. What are the current temperatures at Bryce Canyon, UT and Big Piney, WY?
c. Find the lastest avalanche information. What are the latest temperature and wind observations from the top of the Snowbird Tram (Hidden Peak - Snowbird). Examine current radar images that are also on-line. How's the weather for skiing today?
d. Locate the satellite imagery. Pull up the latest "GOES-9" infrared satellite imagery. Provide a forecast for tomorrow's weather in Salt Lake City based on the imagery and your "sixth sense" for the weather.

Part 2: For this part, use the handout on METAR code.

a. What does the acronym METAR stand for?
b. How would you view the text of a METAR observation (give the commands that you would type in an xterm window)?
c. Decode the following observation into "layman's" words:
KSLC 100650Z 14007KT 10SM -SNRA SCT030 OVC045 02/00 A3007 RMK SLP190 T00240002 400401024=
d. Decode the following observation into "layman's" words:
KGTF 101756Z 00000KT 1 1/2SM -SN BR BKN018 OVC038 M18/M21 A3014 RMK AO2 SLP303 P0001 60004 T11831206 11172 21189 50010=
e. Following the example shown in Figure E-1 of Appendix E: Weather Reports from Weather Analysis by Djuric, plot the following observations:
KBLU 011752Z 20011G29KT 160V230 1/2SM +RA FG OVC003 09/09 A2998 RMK AO2 PK WND 21029/1745 SLP120 P0072 60334 T00940094 10100 20089 53022=
KBNA 101853Z 26012G17KT 1/2SM SN FZFG BKN010 OVC017 M04/M06 A2971 RMK AO2 SLP065 RO2L/3000FT P0000 T10391056=

Last updated on 10 January 1997