WeatherScope

[Mickey Ptak]

For those that don't know about it I would like pass a little info on the WeatherScope software developed by the Oklahoma Climatological Survey.

There is a lot you can do with this software:
1.) Plots (OK mesonet and NOAA/NWS)
2.) Color Filled Gradiants (temps, dews, and more.
3.) Isopleths
4.) Multiple Radar site at once.
5.) Export to jpeg and quicktime movie.

and much more

Check it out.

Mick

 

[Andrew Herron]

I highly recommend this software! It no doubt has its quarks but the ability to overlay as many radar sites as you want is the big seller for me. It really affords you the 'big picture'.

 

[Michael Carlson]

Is the software free?

 

[Alex Fisher]

It also may be the only Mac radar software capable of displaying storm attributes.

This program is great. Still, I'd be willing to pay north of $250 bucks for a Mac port of GR3. However, since GR3 is based on DX9, rather than OpenGL, the probability of that happening is slim to none (with the exception of future developments in Cider/Wine).

One thing I wish they had in this program is the option to display storm attributes as the topmost layer while keeping the radar layer below the state/county lines. Normally, when you mouse over a meso/hail marker, the information displayed on the individual storm becomes obscured by state/county lines. The only option is to keep the radar as the top layer, but I'm not a fan of obscuring my location by doing so.

Any thoughts?

 

[Mickey Ptak]

Is the software free?

It is 100% Free!

Mick

 

[Andrew Herron]

Remember that you can set the transparency of the different layers. I do this with my radar images so it creates more of a proper mosaic. This would also work great in your instance so the county lines wouldn't stop you from seeing storm attributes.

 

[Tom Van Kuiken]

Scripts

Could someone post some interesting scripts to go with this.

 

[Jayson Prentice]

I started using this software a bit ago, it works quite well and there is probably a million different maps you can make to show whatever you wish. One thing about the program that I'm having a problem with is that it seems to bog down fairly quickly when you start doing things. Anybody else have this problem?

 

[Michael P. Morris]

Tom -

You can download lots of additional data sources that do not come bundled with the software from http://sdg.mesonet.org/weathersoft/datasets/

The files you need are in the /info/ subdirectory under each item on that webpage. To allow use on your own computer:

1. Create a directory in My Documents/Weather/WeatherScopeData with the same name as the one listed on the above site (for example, to access satellite images in WeatherScope I have a directory--> C:\Documents and Settings\Michael\My Documents\Weather\WeatherScope Data\edu.ucar.rap)
2. Create a subdirectory /data and /info in the newly created directory.
3. Place all the contents of the /info directory on the OCS server into your newly created /info directory.
4. Start up WeatherScope and you should be able to access the new data set for plotting (satellite data is in "New Observation")

I put some simple .wxscript files up here --> arrc.ou.edu/~mmorris

 

[Brett Adair]

Tom -

You can download lots of additional data sources that do not come bundled with the software from http://sdg.mesonet.org/weathersoft/datasets/

The files you need are in the /info/ subdirectory under each item on that webpage. To allow use on your own computer:

1. Create a directory in My Documents/Weather/WeatherScopeData with the same name as the one listed on the above site (for example, to access satellite images in WeatherScope I have a directory--> C:\Documents and Settings\Michael\My Documents\Weather\WeatherScope Data\edu.ucar.rap)
2. Create a subdirectory /data and /info in the newly created directory.
3. Place all the contents of the /info directory on the OCS server into your newly created /info directory.
4. Start up WeatherScope and you should be able to access the new data set for plotting (satellite data is in "New Observation")

I put some simple .wxscript files up here --> arrc.ou.edu/~mmorris

Could someone break down those data sets for us and tell us exactly what they are? I mean.....such as being satellite data, radar data, etc. I understand which ones are city place files, roads, etc. Just not the data. Thanks!

 

[Michael P. Morris]

Some are pretty straightforward - you can just go into the directory and into the /info subdirectory, and check out the config.xml file. That should contain a title for the dataset or something.

edu.ucar.rap is for satellite images. "New Image" in WeatherScope to add.
edu.ou.ocs.raob is upper air observations.
edu.ou.ocs.txmeso is the West Texas Mesonet

The rest are mostly shapefiles.

 

[Brett Adair]

Thanks.....I notice that you have 500mb heights. These will come in handy! I wonder if there is a guide to making your own place files?

 

[Tarmo Tanilsoo]

I wonder if there are datasets with international weather data as well? I see they have maps for Europe etc, but.... at first look I do not see any data.

 

[Shane Young]

I just stumbled across this thread after trying out the full WxScope software for the first time in a long while. It's really starting to turn into something sweet.

I've always been a big open source kind of guy. I remember what it was like being an early undergrad at OU, and how money is scarce while chasing/wxdata is a great passion... and I'm all about opening up access for all... legally. GR is great, and I'm still considering buying it, but if I can avoid it I think I'd rather. If it had come down to it, I might have eventually invested time to develop an alternative to GR (McIdas/IDV is SO bulky). But WxScope is really becoming a powerhouse.


I've used WxScope since my days back at OU with an OKFirst account way back in like 2001. And I remember the assigned "fun" assignment we were given in Jeff Basara's... to write a WXML page. I've been around this stuff a long time. And it's so cool seeing it really becoming something spectacular like this!


One question to Michael or whoever... is there any way to view a list of full storm attributes? If you ever used like OKFirst, you used to be able to look at it there. Or for that matter, there's a similar list in GR.
Or at least do you know any way to objectively obtain storm motion/direction? I see WxScope can plot fancy graphics for TVS/etc... but there's obviously a lot more use in the expanded data many times.

As it is, I'll probably keep playing with the program. It should really help when basing. I'm considering writing a quick script to streamline importing new data types into the program, to create your own data sources... and I also may well import some new files (like city files for states other than KS/TX/OK) if it sounds useful. Heck, what we really need is a ZIP file that creates the folders in your directories for all the (useful) information available so that you can choose what you want without having to make those folders each time. But some of you guys may have more experience with working with these type of files this than I do. I'm just hoping to provide a way to make this all more user-friendly and ready-to-go for many of the less experienced users.


Anyways, it looks sweet.
I'm not the supreme expert on WxScope, but I've used it off and on. If anybody has any needs for something, let me know, and I'll see what I can do.

Brett, if nothing else, I'll try to come up with a list of what each data set it. But there are a ton, that's to be sure. If you look at the parminfo file in each info directory it'll give you a bit more insight into what's in there. I don't see satellite, but most everything else advertised is there. Additionally data can be imported from other locations, too. At least once it's in a usable xml form.

With the ability to calculate the gradients of any observations as well as extrapolate to a grid, it looks like this can at least compete with GR for those lacking the funds or not interested in GRlevel3.

 

[Shane Young]

Here's a screenshot of the imagery I put together in about 45 minutes. This will definitely be my new chase info center. I've always used RAP along with radar from OKFirst, NWS, and/or Google Earth imagery... but I think this has to take the cake. The list of data I have included goes down off the page... but scrolling is easy with arrow keys, and you can turn off/push to background whole sets of data at once by shift or cntrl + clicks. I have just the Orange County roads on at the moment. And I 110% agree that one of the beauties of this is how multiple radar images can be easily overlaid.


Looks like the code Michael has will also convert NCDC data to usable form in WxScope. Awesome. And I found the satellite imagery in the rap directory too.
TOO AWESOME.

This doesn't just provide me a better radar program, it really cuts out the need for RAP entirely. And I've been glued to using that consistently for 10 years.

Maybe I'm last to catch on to the coolness of WxScope. But If even this old codger can be convinced to move into a new realm, it must be worth it.



So what can be put together that would make this more useful? Converted city files, international data, anything else that GR in terms of additional data that might be useful here?