As a result
of the Tropospheric Airborne Data Report (TAMDAR) Great Lakes
Fleet
Experiment (GLFE) which began in January 2005, real-time sounding data
from
commuter aircraft flying to smaller regional airports in the Great
Lakes and
The forecast
utility of regional TAMDAR aircraft sounding data in assessing
short-term (0-12
hour) convective potential was evaluated in an operational NWS forecast
setting.
Several brief case
studies
will be presented
to illustrate how the higher spatial and temporal resolution soundings
(supplemented with other observational and model forecast datasets)
allowed forecasters
to more effectively monitor changes in important convective parameters
such as low-level
convective available potential energy (CAPE), convective inhibition
(CIN) and low-level
wind shear. As a result, forecasters attained more confidence
and were able to identify and refine areas of greatest convective
potential and better anticipate the type (e.g., elevated, pulse severe,
tornadic, etc.) of the severe weather threat.
Eugene S. Brusky and Phil
Kurimski
National Weather Service, Green Bay, WI
Anthony D. Fischer
Aviation Weather Center, Kansas City, MO