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QUESTIONS
editwhy do meteorologists use these? 49ersfanforlife (talk) 13:57, 30 January 2010 (UTC)
- This question has been answered by NOAA in its publication ‘METEOGRAM ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION' as follows:
- Why a Meteogram is Useful
- Meteograms can provide guidance to forecasters for otherwise data-sparse locations and assist with forecast development by providing the forecaster with a snapshot of model performance and guidance in a graphic display. A meteogram also visually flags the timing of active weather and alerts the forecaster to make a closer evaluation of the model versus observed conditions for the area.
- The meteogram is one of several initialization tools the forecaster can use to check the performance of the model on which it is based. The forecaster is reminded to use more than one tool to initialize and determine overall model performance. For instance, a forecast of precipitation without either cloud cover or indication of convective instability to support it means a problem may exist in the model. The presence of significant winds with a strong high pressure is another instance of model performance. These are negative indicators of model performance. On the positive side of the ledger would be a direct hit timing the wind direction switch associated with an increase in instability and onset of precipitation. The initialization process allows the forecaster to determine how much confidence to place in the model, and by inference, in the model products. Usually the meteogram shows a stable forecast pattern over successive model runs. This helps the forecaster maintain a sense of the continuity of the conditions over the location.
- The meteogram provides a direct visualization of forecast conditions over the specific point. This is an excellent source of guidance to the forecaster, especially for those stations without MOS guidance available. The graphs are easy to read and interpret once the forecaster has an overall view of the model forecast from the traditional plan view charts. In addition, the forecaster can review several variables at the same time without using cumbersome map overlays.