hurricane hunter flight level data...new format

[MClarkson]

You can find these under 'recon' from the nhc website, as well as a couple other websites and ftps.

The big change for this year is the stepped frequency microwave radiometer data being included in each 30 second observation. Also the xtrap surface pressure is a nice feature.


http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/abouthdobs_2007.shtml

hhmmss LLLLH NNNNNW PPPP GGGGG XXXX sTTT sddd wwwSSS MMM KKK ppp FF
142230 2612N 08752W 7010 03057 9282 +102 +102 141153 166 148 999 00
hhmmss:
Observation time, in hours, minutes and seconds (UTC). The observation time is the midpoint of the 30-s averaging interval used for the record's meteorological data.

LLLLH:
The latitude of the aircraft at the observation time in degrees (LL) and minutes (LL). The hemisphere (H) is given as either N or S.

NNNNNH:
The longitude of the aircraft at the observation time, in degrees (NNN) and minutes (NN). The hemisphere (H) is given as either E or W.

PPPP:
Aircraft static air pressure, in tenths of mb with decimal omitted, at the observation time. If pressure is equal to or greater than 1000 mb the leading 1 is dropped.

GGGGG:
Aircraft geopotential height, in meters, at the observation time.

XXXX:
Extrapolated surface pressure or D-value (30-s average). Encoded as extrapolated surface pressure if aircraft static pressure is 550.0 mb or greater (i.e., flight altitudes at or below 550 mb). Format for extrapolated surface pressure is the same as for static pressure. For flight altitudes higher than 550 mb, XXXX is encoded as the D-value, in meters. Negative D-values are encoded by adding 5000 to the D-value.

s:
Sign of the temperature or dew point (+ or -).

sTTT:
The air temperature in degrees and tenths Celsius, decimal omitted (30-s average).

sddd:
The dew point temperature, in degrees and tenths Celsius, decimal omitted (30-s average).

www:
Wind direction in degrees (30-s average). North winds are coded as 000. 999 indicates missing value.

SSS:
Wind speed, in kt (30-s average). 999 indicates missing value.

MMM:
Maximum 10-second average wind speed occurring within the encoding interval, in kt. 999 indicates missing value.

KKK:
Maximum 10-second average surface wind speed occurring within the encoding interval from the Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR), in kt. 999 indicates missing value.

ppp:
SFMR-derived rain rate, in mm hr-1, evaluated over the 10-s interval chosen for KKK . 999 indicates missing value.

FF:
Quality control flags.

First column indicates status of positional variables as follows:
0 All parameters of nominal accuracy
1 Lat/lon questionable
2 Geopotential altitude or static pressure questionable
3 Both lat/lon and GA/PS questionable

Second column indicates status of meteorological variables as follows:
0 All parameters of nominal accuracy
1 T or TD questionable
2 Flight-level winds questionable
3 SFMR parameter(s) questionable
4 T/TD and FL winds questionable
5 T/TD and SFMR questionable
6 FL winds and SFMR questionable
9 T/TD, FL winds, and SFMR questionable

 

[JR Hehnly]

You can view the last 24 hours' recon flight data decoded and plotted on Google Earth at the guiWeather site:

http://www.guiWeather.com/kml.html

Yesterday it was interesting seeing the plots of 3 recon planes headed from the states to Puerto Rico. Today it looks like only one plane went out to collect data.

 

[Derrick Herndon]

Here is another decoder that does not require Google Earth that I came across:

http://www.tropicalatlantic.com/recon/

I must say I like the new format, lots of good information.