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<br />(NWS). Gust fronts, surface troughs and frontal boundaries often are revealed to us in these <br />images providing timely, critical data during operational periods as discussed earlier in the <br />Physical Basis for Cloud Seeding. ' <br /> <br />Forecasts, current observations, upper air wind profile data, lightning history, DUA TS <br />service and other data are also available. Most of the data is received via WeatherTap capable of <br />being put into a looping sequence for time-history detail and can be saved on the computer for <br />possible in-house analysis. <br /> <br />Rawinsondes-those balloon-borne weather-measuring instrurnents---are launched daily <br />at NWS sites 7 a.m. and at 7 p.m. They contain sensors measuring temperature, pressure and <br />humidity and are tracked for wind speed and direction with height. On the WKWMP the most <br />representative rawinsonde data ofthe atmosphere over much ofthe WKWMP target area is taken <br />by the Dodge City site. These data seem to be nearly indispensable to us providing excellent data <br />from which a good short-term forecast of 12 hours, or less, can be made. More and more, <br />satellite derived sounding data has become almost as common as rawinsonde data. The real <br />value of satellite derived soundings is that new data ;becomes available every hour instead of two <br />times a day from rawinsondes as well as having more locations where data is available instead of <br />just Dodge City. <br /> <br />We continue using upgraded versions of our :rawinsonde analysis program called RAOB, <br />developed by Environmental Research Services. This program allows us to analyze upper air <br />data in a variety of ways. Details shown by the RAOB program are such that, when printed, it <br />can very closely replicate a miniature Log-P, Skew-T diagram, a primary analysis tool used often <br />in daily operations by meteorologists. A special fea~e RAOB is that it is capable of projecting <br />several other sites' rawinsonde data onto the same chart at the same time for comparative <br />analysis. <br /> <br />Another service we use routinely to access weather information is the DIRECT USER <br />ACCESS TERMINAL SYSTEM (DUATS). DUATS is a government-funded weather and flight <br />planning service available to all pilots, accessed via <;:omputer terminal and modem. Other <br />analysis software can process and display the weath~r data collected via DUA TS, among them <br />are forecasts, hourly surface observations, weather warnings, fi)recast discussions and radar <br />summaries. Special use can be made of the hourly surface observations since they can be <br />processed through another analysis program that prints out large-area surface observation data <br />within a few minutes after the data is obtained from it source, then analyzed for whatever detail <br />is desired. Frequently, areas of convergence, divergence, and wind flow fields are shown which <br />provide guidance into continuing operations. <br /> <br />Radio and TV weather programs are two more sources of useful weather information. <br />Occasionally, background TV monitoring in the field office provides access to other weather <br />updates, advisories, alerts and occasional real-time Doppler radar displays during active severe <br />storm periods. The network affiliates' station meteorologists covering this area exhibit a high <br />degree of professionalism and provide the public with timely severe weather information along <br />with their own professional perspectives. <br /> <br />16 <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />