| I do have this one: http://tropicalatlantic.com/recon/pages/ge_recon_tutorial/ As for best use, here are some ideas, but since I am not a meteorologist I'll tell you what I look at but professionals may find more importance in other things than I do Vortex messages are important. You get the lowest pressure on the pass through the center. If it is extrapolated then it was not actually measured by a dropsonde, it was estimated from the aircraft. (so it might be slightly off, but a weather professional is going over the data) The notes at the bottom, when available, might tell you what the highest winds were too at flight level. (Sometimes they might even give you surface winds and that could give you an approximate idea of if the advisory intensity may go up. It may not be representative of the entire storm even then, but it might give you some idea.) You can get that data most times by looking at the observations that come across frequently, HDOBs. RECCO messages are not as helpful to me because you get that data more frequently in the HDOBs. They put the RECCO messages out every so often. A lot of times when they make a turn, a turnpoint, they do that. You do get some info you don't get elsewhere. but I'm not a meteorologist so I'm not sure how important it is. Dropsonde messages are important. A dropsonde is released from the plane and travels to the surface. Sometimes it doesn't reach the surface while still reporting data, and that is noted. When it does reach the surface, you will know what the pressure was, wind, temperature and dew point. Sometimes something might go wrong and you don't get all that data. If a vortex message is not extrapolated, then it was measured by dropsonde. On the way down as well, the dropsonde records pressure, wind, temperature, and dew point. My site graphs the data and displays it. Dropsondes are important because you are measuring data. Keep in mind that wind speed is higher at some of the levels above the surface. But not all levels. If you see a high wind in a dropsonde and it is at a high level, that does not make that the wind speed of the storm because advisory winds are at the surface. High density observations (HDOBs) come out often, usually every 10 minutes. Within each data set is usually twenty observations, one every 30 seconds. This is along the flight path of the plane except for SFMR data which is an instrument that estimates surface wind and rain rates at the surface. The other wind data, flight level wind and gusts, is almost always higher than what you will find at the surface. But, this data is measure and the surface data is estimated. Note when something is marked suspect. That means the data might be wrong. Keep in mind though that just because something is not suspect doesn't mean it is perfect. Sometimes things that are not noted as suspect should be flagged as such. Just be a little extra cautious of data that is very off from something 30 second prior or 30 seconds after. Hopefully that helps some. If anyone has questions they can ask or email me. |