Operational Utilization of Upper Tropospheric Wind Estimates Based on Meterological Satellite Photographs

摘要

A technique of estimating upper tropospheric winds over the tropics and subtropics utilizing the appearance of cirriform clouds in meteorological satellite photographs is described. Specifically, the appearance of cirrus cumulonimbogenitus, cirrus spissatus, and the edges of cirrostratus shields is used to furnish clues to the wind direction and speed in their immediate proximity. Known relationships are used to estimate large-scale wind flow at the 200 and 300 millibar levels of the atmosphere. The National Meteorological Center now routinely incorporates such wind estimates into operational numerical map analyses. The data are also transmitted in both analog and digital form to a number of weather centers for use in both conventional and numerical analyses. An objective method for verifying these wind estimates is described, and the results of a six-month test of the data are given. (Author)