Echo Tops: A Meteorology Blog

Learning About Meteorology & Programming
● NWS - JetStream: Online School for Weather - Awesome starting point to learn about the weather...short, effective lessons.

● UCAR - MetEd - GeoScience-driven learning with a heavy lean toward Meteorology; site does require account setup (but it is free).
● Python Computer Language <-- Download ... SoloLearn is a great way to learn it / teach yourself!

Forecasts, Radar, & Satellite
North America Surface Analysis ● College of DuPage NexLab - Satellite and Radar ● CIRA - Ramsdis - Hi-Res Satellite Imagery ● UNCC Weather ● NWS Graphical Forecasts ● WPC - Discussions ● SPC (Storm Prediction  ● MRMS Op Viewer ● WeatherUnderground ● NOAA - Atlantic, Gulf, and Caribbean Satellite Data ● NRL Navy Tropical Page

Weather Numerical Models

* Below is a list of different adaptations of primarily the same weather models. Some sites publish from basic to unique products; all sites and models having their own strengths/benefits of use.

College of DuPage NexLab ● PSU e-WALL (4-Panel) ● Tropical Tidbits ● WeatherNerds.org ● WxCharts.eu ● Pivotal Weather ● TwisterData ● GFS Ensemble Plume Viewer ● SREF Plume Viewer ● SREF CONUS ● NCAR Ensembles ● HRRR Browser ● SPC HREF

Weather Forecasting & Research Software

● BUFKIT - Must have! Displays Modeled Sounding data. Good Severe and Winter Weather applications. Allows manipulation of hodograph data

*** Below are sites that regularly update weather-model bufkit profiles. There is no need to download the files. Only the URL is needed. Bufkit will accept that. ***

● Iowa State Bufkit Warehouse - Extensive database of regularly-updated bufkit profiles; worldwide coverage.

● Penn State Bufkit Data Distribution - PSU's site for bufkit profiles, including NAMNEST; encompasses North and Central America

● Below is a copy/paste template of what I use in BufGet. Feel free to modify according to your own stations of interest by using the search and replace feature found in almost all text editors. (codebox sourcecode)

# KCLT - Charlotte-Douglas International Airport
# A dash means stop the script
# Add a # in front of a line to exclude it from download requests
# If you need to download a previous model-run, remove the # from in front of the specified run below

archive

### PSU BUFKIT DATA - Most Recent Model Updates ######################################

 ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/GFS/gfs3_kclt.buf
 ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/NAM/nam_kclt.buf
 ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/NAMNEST/namnest_kclt.buf
 ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/SREF/sref_kclt.buz
 ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/hrrr_kclt.buf
 ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/rap_kclt.buf

# UNCC Weather Bufkit Data
 http://weather.uncc.edu/data/bufkit/hrwarw_kclt.buz

### Use these only if you need to grab a previous model run; Remove the # in front of the link to mark it for download
### If used, these will be displayed by default, not the most recent run

# GFS
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/GFS/00/gfs3_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/GFS/06/gfs3_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/GFS/12/gfs3_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/GFS/18/gfs3_kclt.buf

# NAM
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/NAM/00/nam_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/NAM/06/nam_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/NAM/12/nam_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/NAM/18/nam_kclt.buf

# NAMNEST
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/NAMNEST/00/namnest_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/NAMNEST/06/namnest_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/NAMNEST/12/namnest_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/NAMNEST/18/namnest_kclt.buf

#SREF
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/SREF/03/sref_kclt.buz
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/SREF/09/sref_kclt.buz
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/SREF/15/sref_kclt.buz
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/SREF/21/sref_kclt.buz

# HRRR
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/12/hrrr_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/13/hrrr_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/14/hrrr_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/15/hrrr_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/16/hrrr_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/17/hrrr_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/18/hrrr_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/19/hrrr_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/20/hrrr_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/21/hrrr_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/22/hrrr_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/23/hrrr_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/00/hrrr_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/01/hrrr_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/02/hrrr_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/03/hrrr_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/04/hrrr_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/05/hrrr_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/06/hrrr_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/07/hrrr_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/08/hrrr_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/09/hrrr_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/10/hrrr_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/HRRR/11/hrrr_kclt.buf

# RAP
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/12/rap_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/13/rap_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/14/rap_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/15/rap_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/16/rap_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/17/rap_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/18/rap_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/19/rap_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/20/rap_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/21/rap_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/22/rap_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/23/rap_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/00/rap_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/01/rap_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/02/rap_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/03/rap_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/04/rap_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/05/rap_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/06/rap_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/07/rap_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/08/rap_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/09/rap_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/10/rap_kclt.buf
# ftp://ftp.meteo.psu.edu/pub/bufkit/RAP/11/rap_kclt.buf

● SHARPpy - Soundings program; allows user to view actual weather-balloon data or modeled soundings. It lets you zoom in and out on the provided soundings and hodographs, and lets you modify Temp and Dew-Point readings.
● NOAA's Weather and Climate Toolkit (WCT) - *** Version 4.x supports easy access to current and archived Level-II (RAW) radar data. It eliminates the need to order (and then wait) on Level II data *** -- Program from NOAA that can process and display an array of meteorological products; Great for research/radar data on past weather events, but near-real-time data can be accessed

• NOAA - NCDC - NEXRAD Data Inventory - convenient and great way to 'order' just the radar data you're looking for. Excellent for Level-III products
• UCAR THREDDS Link - http://thredds.ucar.edu/thredds/catalog.xml - Just copy that link into the THREDDs Tab of Data Selector. ...between 3 weeks to a month's worth of Data on their servers ... Includes radar and satellite archive.
• NWS - Real-Time Level III Data - NWS backs up the the most current Level-III files (roughly 200 files of each type), including Airport (TDWR) sites
• NWS Radar Access Guide (PDF) - I created this in an attempt to make it easier to use the FTP data in WCT.
• Radar WCTFAVs - Due to the hard-to-navigate nature of the FTP folder structure, I made these site-specific files that hold 'favorites' of the most-recent radar products on the NWS FTP server. From them, WCT allows you to copy the URL (to get directory) if you wanted to look at older data. This significantly reduces the time it takes to view real-time L3 radar products.

● McIDAS-V - very in-depth derivation of UCAR's IDV
● AWIPS II - A versatile tool which is used by SPC/NWS offices; The accompanying access to data is free, but is limited in some respects; includes Product Generator (PGEN), used by the SPC to draw-up their mesoscale discussions, and the Warning Generator!

Data - Recent and Archived
Plymouth State Weather Center - Make Your Own (maps) ● University of Wyoming - Soundings (and Archive) ● NOAA - Radiosonde Data Archive ● NOAA - NCDC Storm Events Database ● Iowa State MesoNet: Warnings Archive ● NOAA Weather Climate Toolkit (WCT) - ***Look under the Weather Software section