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The Precipitation Type Forecasting teletraining session by Dan Baumgardt covers the following topics:

• Review of Cloud Microphysics (Ice Nucleation)


• Operational Application of Microphysics
- Hydrometeor Altering Environments
- Top-Down Approach
- Operational Forecast Problems
- Applications, More Tools

The two objectives of the session are:
1. To trace a hydrometeor trajectory from its source to the surface to determine its final precipitation type and
2. To understand why a precipitation type is occurring because it will help you forecast it.

None. This is a basic course.

A.) The interactive VISITview training session. (To be used with a VISIT instructor leading the session ). Click here to signup for teletraining. The session will last 90 minutes. This teletraining session uses the VISITview software, where Windows PC (with 64 MB RAM or greater) with an Internet connection is needed.

B.) Web-based presentation - a "stand alone" version viewed via a Web browser, with embedded talking points included. This lesson version may be viewed at any time. These slides are ideal for printing from the web-browser, just print preview first to choose portrait or landscape mode. Best viewed with Internet Explorer or Netscape (prior to version 6).

C.) Web-based Visitview session - This version uses the VISITview software within a Web browser, may be viewed at any time. It retains all the functionality of the VISITview software which you see in a "live" teletraining session. The talking points are not included in this lesson version, but can be viewed in a separate Web browser (or printed out beforehand).

D.) Web-based video training session

E.) Audio playback - This VISITview file contains recorded audio and annotations and be taken at anytime. Certificates of completion for NOAA employees can be obtained through your Science Operation Officer or training point of contact. The post-session exercise can be found in section 5 (immediately following) and can be used as an applied test/certification of completion. For detailed information on how to view the recorded session click here.

You may either request a DVD (with all VISIT audio playback files) OR download the file (see instructions below):

Download the audio playback file for Windows at one of the following sites:
ftp://rammftp.cira.colostate.edu/bikos/audio/ptype_audio.exe
OR
ftp://ftp.ssec.wisc.edu/visit/ptype_audio.exe

Participants of this session may direct questions regarding content to visit-ptype@comet.ucar.edu and frequently asked questions (and answers) will be posted here soon.

• Post session exercise:
  
Near the end of the training, I will show a cross-section. I will discuss it a bit but not completely. This would seem to be a very good exercise for the trainees to complete AFTER the VISIT session to reinforce the topics. You can grab a copy of this from http://www.crh.noaa.gov/arx/micro/ptype.gif (print with landscape).
The solution is under http://www.crh.noaa.gov/arx/micro/ptypea.gif.
Also, the PTYPE flow chart (self-extracting zip file with a Corel .shw file within it) used in the training is available at http://www.crh.noaa.gov/arx/micro/ptype_flow.exe .


• http://www.crh.noaa.gov/arx/micro/ now has references under the speaker notes for all slides where a reference is warranted.


• Corel presentations self-extracting show file. This has references under SPEAKER NOTES. This is also linked off the web site above.
  
  List of references (see this page for specific slides):
  • McCammon, Ryan C.: ON THE USE OF REAL-TIME OBSERVATIONS TO CONFIRM ETA MODEL PREDICTED TRENDS IN THE TEMPERATURE STRUCTURE OF THE LOWER ATMOSPHERE TO FORECAST A SOUTHWESTERN KANSAS FREEZING DRIZZLE EVENT. NOAA/NWS Central Region Applied Reasearch Paper 23-03. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/techpapers/arp23/23-03.html
  • Pruppacher, H.R., and J.D. Klett: Microphysics of Clouds and Precipitation. D. Reidel Publishing Company, Boston, 714 pp. See page 241+ as well as page 9
  • Rodgers, R.R., and M.K. Yau: A Short Course in Cloud Physics. Pergammon Press, New York, 293 pp. - See page 155+ also page 161
  • Schichtel, M., 1988: Specification of Precipitation Type in Oklahoma Winter Storms. University of Oklahoma. Masters Thesis. 131 pp.
  • Pobanz, B.M., J.D. Marwitz, and M. K. Politovich, 1994: Conditions Associated with Large-Drop Regions. Journal of Applied Meteorology, 33, pp 1366-1372. In this study, 29 cases were used which evaluated cloud-top temperature for large liquid drops. Only 14% of the liquid water drop cases had temperatures at or below -12.0°C. About 31% of the cases had temperatures of -10°C or colder.
  • Stewart, R.E. 1985: Precipitation Types in Winter Storms. Pure Appl. Geophys., 123, 597-609.
  • Czys, R.R., R.W. Scott, K.C. Tang, R.W. Przybylinski, and M.E. Sabones: A Physically Based, Nondimensional Parameters for Discriminating between Locations of Freezing Rain and Ice Pellets, Weather and Forecasting, Volume 11 1996, pp 591-597.
  • Zerr, R. J.: Freezing Rain: An Observational and Theoretical Study. Journal of Applied Met., Dec 1997, pp. 1647-1661.
  • Penn, S., 1957: The prediction of snow versus rain. Forecasting Guide No. 2, U.S. Weather Bureau, 29 pp.
  • Online: web published work from Steven Hentz, NOAA/NWS/WFO Milwaukee: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mkx/www/shentz
  • Lussky, G., 1995: Physical Rational Associated with Various Minneapolis, Minnesota Heavy Snow Checklist Parameters. NOAA/NWS 4th National Winter Weather Workshop, Kansas City, MO. pp. 33-1 to 33-7.
  
  
  
  Try it yourself, use the Precipitation Type Applet that makes use of these concepts to see what type of precipitation would fall.

Talking points - these may be used by local offices in tandem with the visitview training session (run in local mode - "visitlocal.bat"). The talking points may be printed out to easily review the session in detail at any time.

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Dan Bikos (970) 491-3777