SatMet Home PageUse the information provided in the lists below to evaluate the available satellite and blended model-satellite analyses and predicted information. In particular, use the Precipitation Estimate products, the DMSP SSM/I and Northern Hemisphere (NH) Precipitable Water (PW) products, as well as the Precipitation Efficiency Factor images. You also have available data in GARP (case name: 21feb96). Data of particular interest in GARP include the WV, IR and VIS satellite loops, the radar products, and the model forecast fields.
QPF Prediction Task : (70 min lab ; 15 min discussion)
Use the information presented below to describe which geographic areas in the western U.S., and the associated QPF amounts you would predict (for example, "0.00 to 0.99 inches in central Utah" ; "1.00 to 2.99 inches in southern Oregon and northern California"). Consider this precipitation to be total water equivalent (rain+melted snow) accumulated during the period 12UTC/20FEB to 12UTC/21FEB.
Follow the guidelines provided in the lecture presentation and lecture handouts. Use Garp to view the satellite, radar, model and observational data, and the SatMet web page for this lab exercise to view the QPF products. You can open the Garp and web page windows side by side for comparison.
Then, for the geographic areas you list, can you predict which 6-hour time segment (within the entire 24 hour period) will have the largest precipitation, and what this 6-hour accumulation will be ?
QPF Amount 0.00 to 0.99 inches :
QPF Amount 1.00 to 2.99 inches :
QPF Amount over 2.99 inches :
Questions to ask when preparing QPF --
View the following information to provide continuity from previous time period --
Lists of QPF Products [ click on product to view ; times given are Valid Time (VT) ] ....
View the following information to compute the QPF's --
View the following information to evaluate your answers --
