Upper Air Soundings useful when forecasting for freezing rain
Soundings are the most important tool for identifying potential freezing rain regimes.
Upper air observation An observation made in the free atmosphere either directly or indirectly.
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1000 - 500 mb thickness
Lifting Index United States.
upper air - In synoptic meteorology and in weather observing, that portion of the atmosphere that is above the lower troposphere. No distinct lower limit is set but the term can be generally applied to the levels above 850 mb.
UPPER AIR/UPPER LEVEL
The portion of the atmosphere which is above the lower troposphere. It is generally applied to the levels above 850 millibars.
Upper Air
(Aloft) Term used to signify the region from the base of a free atmosphere to the upper limit of the troposphere.
Violent Storm
Wind with a speed between 56 and 63 knots.
UA- Upper Air
UVV- Upward Vertical Velocity. Thermodynamic UVV results from the release of instability on the sub-mesoscale (updrafts in thunderstorms).
Upper air data are of crucial importance for weather forecasting. The most widely used technique is launches of radiosondes. Supplementing the radiosondes a network of aircraft collection is organized by the World Meteorological Organization.
RAWINSONDE An upper air observation that evaluates the winds, temperature, relative humidity, and pressure aloft by means of a balloon-attached radiosonde that is tracked by a radar or radio direction-finder.
Upper-level (or upper air) - In weather observing, the term applies to the portion of the atmosphere that is above the lower troposphere, generally 850 hPa and above.
Some of the information that is gathered by weather satellites, such as GOES9, includes upper air temperatures and humidity, recording the temperatures of cloud tops, land, and ocean, ...
Radiosonde observation An evaluation of upper air temperature, pressure, and humidity from radio signals received from a balloon-borne radiosonde.
The SWEAT index has the advantage (and disadvantage) of using only mandatory-level data (i.e., 500 mb and 850 mb), but has fallen into relative disuse with the advent of more detailed upper air sounding analysis programs.
A trough on a mean sea level pressure chart, (or an upper air contour chart) can be picked out by an arrangement of isobars (contours) which are concave towards an area of low pressure (low contour height) along a particular axis, ...
This area is important for understanding surface weather, upper air storms tend to be steered in the direction of the winds at this level and are highly correlated with surface weather.
In meteorology, the term "sounding" refers to an upper air observation or a complete radiosonde report. Balloons equipped with instrumentation are launched twice each day (12 hours apart) from upper air stations.
RAWINSONDE: A method of upper air observation consisting of an evaluation of the wind speed and direction, temperature, pressure,and humidity aloft by means of a balloon-borne radiosonde tracked by radar or a radio theodolite.
CAPE is represented on an upper air sounding by the area enclosed between the environmental temperature profile and the path of a rising air parcel, over the layer within which the latter is warmer than the former.
World (MCDW) A National Climatic Data Center publication which contains monthly mean temperature, pressure, precipitation, vapor pressure, and sunshine for approximately 2,000 surface data collection stations worldwide and monthly mean upper air ...
It is most common near upper air fronts and the tropopause, and can often affect an aircraft without warning. Clear-air turbulence also frequently occurs close to towering cumulus clouds (usually within 30 km), and near mountains.
Cut-Off Low - An upper level low pressure system that is no longer in the normal west to east upper air flow. Usually a cut-off low will lie to the South of the established upper air flow.
AEROLOGY - A branch of meteorology dealing with the FREE ATMOSPHERE, that is, the upper air dynamics at least 1 mile above the earth's surface. This concerns jet stream and wind patterns aloft and is very important for weather forecasting.
Ducting occurs when the upper air is exceptionally warm and dry in comparison with the air at the surface. When this occurs, the radar is able to detect targets at abnormally long ranges and it can cause holes in the radar coverage area.
Level of the atmosphere at which half the mass of the atmosphere lies above and half below, as measured in pressure units. This area is important for understanding surface weather, for upper air storms tend to be steered in the direction of the winds ...
Upper air winds also are determined through tracking of the balloon ascent. Radiosonde observations generally are taken twice a day (0000 and 1200 UTC) around the globe.
In this case there is a deficit of air, which is balanced by a descent of the upper air layers above the area. This descent is called "subsidence".
A balloon that ascends through the atmosphere at a constant rate and is tracked by a theodolite in order to obtain timed data for the computation of the wind speed and wind direction at various levels in the upper air above the station.
Average wind over a deep layer of the atmosphere, giving a representative steering wind. In this case, deep is defined as spanning from the lower atmosphere all the way to the upper air (5-10 kilometres high or up to a pressure level of at least ...
pilot balloon—A small free-lift balloon used to determine the speed and direction of winds in the upper air.
The name comes from its resemblance to the Greek letter, Omega, when analyzed on upper air charts. It is an example of a blocking high.Onshore BreezeA wind that blows from a body of water towards the land.
 See also: Weather, Air, Surface, Atmosphere, Temperature
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