<p>You're definitely on the right path with wanting to dig into raw data yourself.  <a href="http://weather.rap.ucar.edu/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">RAP</a> has always been a pretty solid source of useful basic data.</p>

<p>But in terms of making sense of the data, it indeed will take some practice. You can feel like you're not getting it at all, but suddenly pieces will start to click, much like riding a bike.</p>

<p>Basically, you need to start building from those that know these things.  As such, one good insight can be in reading NWS forecast discussions, which you can find among the rich data at <a href="http://kamala.cod.edu/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">kamala.cod.edu</a> or in one big set at <a href="http://forecast.weather.gov/product_sites.php?site=NWS&amp;product=AFD" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this NWS link</a>.</p>

<p>But, at least in terms of storms, I think the place to start has to be the same place that the CWG article relied upon: the <a href="http://www.spc.noaa.gov/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Storm Prediction Center</a>.  Specifically:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Convective outlooks</a> will explain the day's weather picture and large key features</li>
<li><a href="http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/md/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Mesoscale discussions</a> offer insight into the finer details that make all the difference, ones which even the most seasoned meteorologists may not always recognize.</li>
<li>Then the <a href="http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/mesoanalysis/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">mesoanalysis tool</a> allows you to dig more into the data yourself and see overlays of a deep variety of parameters.  But the tool that may be right down your alley may be the <a href="http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/compmap/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">composite map generator tool</a>, which allows you to combine just the noteworthy parts of the key elements onto one image and see how they line up.</li>
<li>And then the <a href="http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/events/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Severe Weather Events Archive</a> allows you to dig into a great deal of past events, and the <a href="http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/outbreaks/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Outbreaks Browser</a> lets you see the bigger events in a very sharp, graphical way.</li>
</ul>

<p>And there's plenty of other great things there too; climatologies, publications, education pages, etc.  Now, obviously the majority of this information focuses most directly on severe weather setups (though the SPC does actually also issue winter weather mesoscale discussions [the WPC now does <a href="http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/metwatch/metwatch_mpd.php" rel="nofollow noreferrer">heavy rain MDs</a>, and of course the <a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">NHC</a> does the main discussions on tropical systems]), and only regard US events.  But these tools can really help even those interested more in other areas and topics get a better understanding of the bigger picture, which sync up well into just about every topic of synoptic and mesoscale meteorology, regardless of location.</p>

<p>Now, in terms of helping you personally narrow down onto the key elements, so that you could make your own composite map... the <a href="http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/tstorms/ingredient.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">classic ingredients necessary for thunderstorms</a> <sup><sub>(also see <a href="http://www.theweatherprediction.com/habyhints/141/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>)</sub></sup> can be a good starting point:</p>

<ol>
<li>Instability... the predisposition of rising air to continue rising.  Basically warm (and moist) surface air and anomalously cold air aloft.</li>
<li>Moisture... high dewpoints create clouds more readily, form them at lower heights (important for tornadoes), and produce more precipitation/energy for storms.  Plus it helps the instability.</li>
<li>Trigger... something to get the air moving to rise so that the ingredients can be realized.  There are a WIDE range of possibilities here.  Important ones for storms include <a href="http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/af/frnts/home.rxml" rel="nofollow noreferrer">fronts</a>, the <a href="http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/af/frnts/dfdef.rxml" rel="nofollow noreferrer">dryline</a>, vorticity advection aloft (incoming vort maxes you see spinning around on <a href="http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/ramsdis/online/loop.asp?data_folder=goes-west_goes-east/goes-east_16km_psir3&amp;width=640&amp;height=480" rel="nofollow noreferrer">water vapor imagery</a>), <a href="http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/cyc/upa/vrt.rxml" rel="nofollow noreferrer">favorable jet streak quadrants</a>, strong temperature advection (e.g. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjU0ko41_a4" rel="nofollow noreferrer">low-level jets</a>), <a href="http://lukemweather.blogspot.com/2011/06/storms-firing-on-outflow-boundary.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">outflow boundaries</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_breeze" rel="nofollow noreferrer">seabreezes/lakebreezes/riverbreezes</a>, <a href="http://www.spc.noaa.gov/coolimg/gwavecb.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">gravity waves</a>, <a href="http://theweatherforums.com/archive/index.php?/topic/15745-diffluence-and-divergence/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">diffluence aloft</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orographic_lift" rel="nofollow noreferrer">terrain/orographic lift</a>, <a href="http://tornado.sfsu.edu/Geosciences/classes/m835/Cases/HCR/HCR.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">horizontal convection rolls/cloud streets</a>, <a href="http://www.theweatherprediction.com/habyhints/116/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">isentropic upglide</a>, and <a href="http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/pdf/10.1175/1520-0493(1998)126%3C2117%3ASMPDTP%3E2.0.CO%3B2" rel="nofollow noreferrer">differential heating boundaries</a>.  Suffice to say there are a lot of options in play, though some are more common than others.  But you'd be surprised how quickly you can get used to finding them with practice.  (And it's really a pity there isn't greater information/graphics/videos/explanations on some of those topics... perhaps some of these will eventually work their way here to be questions that can encourage a better, clearer reference to form)</li>
</ol>

<p>And finally, to really ramp up severe weather, and also primary to tornado threat, you add in ingredient four...</p>

<ol start="4">
<li>Wind shear... different winds at different height.  A combination of how much directional difference there is and how much speed difference.  Significantly impacted by upper level jet streaks, low-level jets, and the direction of the surface flow is.</li>
</ol>

<p>This may sound like a ton.  But taking a second look at that Accuweather graphic, it's those same ingredients:
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/iJyxc.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/iJyxc.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>So with those basics to start at, the pictures have a pattern to them.  And then when you add in the finer details discussed, you can really find the deeper things you won't on the more basic composites.  You can see what really DID make all the difference.  In the end, it's an investigative science, a continual game of making and refining theories, and it's something you only get better at with practice.  Even top meteorologists still don't always have the answers; I don't know whether anyone has come up with a perfect explanation yet for why the supercells on Sunday in Central Florida didn't produce prolific tornadoes.  Forecasts do still fail.  And so we're always trying to better clear up the details of each past event, so that we'll be better at the next one.</p>

<p>A couple final links... it seems like <a href="http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/pdf/10.1175/1520-0434(1986)001%3C0164:STFAHP%3E2.0.CO%3B2" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this journal article</a> might be fairly interesting and approachable for you... and then websites like <a href="http://www.stormtrack.org" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Stormtrack</a> can be a really great asset, as that's where quite a few chasers/meteorologists often congregate to discuss big weather events.  The more time you spend looking at this stuff, engaging in conversation, challenging the reasoning you/others have, and learning, the better you'll be able to form a clearer picture of what's going on.  A much better picture than any news article will ever give!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-26T01:24:32.513Z
JeopardyTempest coming in for me again with another clutch maneuver! Is there anything you *can't* do?
spillthrill
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-26T01:28:28.363Z
Just as an aside, my other idea was to email Dr. Cliff Mass over at the University of Washington, but he's a busy man and I don't think he'd have the time to answer this question, especially since I'm not a UW student. Perhaps if I phrased it as, "can you suggest some academic papers that go over thunderstorm events in coastal interior areas of Washington and BC?"
spillthrill
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-27T05:34:52.777Z
It's before my time and the opposite end of the country from me, so no surprise I don't know it. But sometimes the events we remember aren't the ones others do... I'm surprised it's not on a page like http://www.climate.washington.edu/stormking/mainindex.html or http://web.archive.org/web/20000417204756/http://www.seawfo.noaa.gov/WEBPNS.txt So it may be something Dr. Mass doesn't have much on. But it doesn't hurt to send an email along the lines of "Dr Mass, I'm looking for more information on a storm event from July 7th, 1999, do you have anything on it?"
JeopardyTempest
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-27T05:37:42.267Z
And if he doesn't have much, there are surprisingly good data archives out there which we can use to pull the basic information on it together, but will take a bit of work.
JeopardyTempest
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-27T05:51:03.123Z
(you may also find http://web.archive.org/web/20000304031152/http://www.seawfo.noaa.gov/WATOP10.htm interesting, though offtopic to this)
JeopardyTempest
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-03T03:15:40.627Z
As for your suggeston on what to email Dr. Mass, I honestly think the question is a bit too specific for such a busy man (he's chair of Atmospheric Sciences at UW). I was just telling you about the alternative options I weighed before asking this question to Earsci.SE. And one more thing: do you know if the NWS has a way of letting you make a composite map of archived data? The link which you sent me only allows you to see a comp map of real time data. I can't always wait around for storms to erupt.
spillthrill
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-25T15:08:45.173Z
2017-01-25T15:25:16.743Z
2017-01-25T15:25:16.743Z
JeopardyTempest
<p>With the tornado outbreak in southern Georgia and northern/central Florida on Sunday that has tragically resulted in significant loss of life, eyes are once again on the weather. I was particularly impressed by the synoptic analysis done by the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2017/01/23/inside-the-deadly-tornado-outbreak-that-struck-the-south/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Capital Weather Gang</a> over at the Washington Post.</p>

<p>I've always found this kind of mesoscale "tale of the tape" analysis to be interesting. Accuweather has made these kinds of analyses/maps, see <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/sAcph.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">3/2/12</a>. </p>

<p>I would like to be able to look at upper-air and surface charts, and be able to explain the weather. How can I do that? What would I have to learn?</p>

<p>Through lots of studying of NWS upper air and surface charts, nullschool.net maps, and reading <a href="http://cliffmass.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Cliff Mass's blog</a>, I was able to draw some crude Microsoft Paint renditions of the basic summer weather pattern in the Pacific Northwest:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/73Qcr.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/73Qcr.png" alt="PNW map 1"></a></p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/UVNa9.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/UVNa9.png" alt="PNW map 2"></a></p>

<p>Furthermore, I was also to depict a map of the atmospheric conditions during the 4/27/2011 tornado outbreak, utilizing William Smith's <a href="http://toweringcumulonimbus.blogspot.ca/2011/05/destruction-and-tragedy-in-dixie-april.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">excellent analysis</a> (you'll want to click on the image for a larger resolution):</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ByQME.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ByQME.png" alt="4-27-11"></a></p>

<p>But I want to learn how to do this on my own. I want to be able to look at charts, and use the charts to make an analysis of a weather event. I'll give you a good example of what I want to do:</p>

<p>During the early morning hours of July 7th, 1999, thunderstorms erupted over southwestern British Columbia and interior sections of WA near the Strait of Juan de Fuca. I know this because I lived through them, I was 7 years old at the time and they kept me up all night. NWS radar archives did not register any precipitation, but <a href="http://vortex.plymouth.edu/cgi-bin/rad/gen-mdr-a.cgi?re=nw&amp;va=all&amp;yy=99&amp;mm=07&amp;dd=07&amp;hh=09&amp;ge=640x480&amp;pg=web" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Plymouth State University's archives did</a>. Plymouth State's archives also have upper-air analyses; the <a href="http://vortex.plymouth.edu/cgi-bin/upa/gen-ctrmap-a.cgi?re=nw&amp;le=500&amp;va=hght&amp;in=20&amp;pl=cf&amp;yy=1999&amp;mm=07&amp;dd=07&amp;hh=00&amp;sc=1.0&amp;ge=1024x768&amp;pg=web" rel="nofollow noreferrer">00Z 7 Jul 99 analysis</a> shows the shortwave trough draped from the Puget Sound up to southern Vancouver Island. What I want to do is to learn how to forecast the weather at a basic level, then apply this knowledge and look at the upper air, mid-level, and surface analyses, then be able to put them all together to understand this event occurred. I then want to apply this knowledge to be able to predict or analyze other convective thunderstorm events or other major weather events. Other people have recommended reading the content at <a href="http://theweatherprediction.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">theweatherprediction.com</a>.</p>

<p>Thank you.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-25T09:46:24.557Z
To be honest, I'm not sure these are often the groundbreaking information they seem. The Accuweather image is basically shows the setup of any decent maturing low pressure system. The upper jet always is collocated with healthy fronts. The CWG article hits more details, but mainly via the SPC MDs, which indeed do go into finer details like mesolows and multi-warm front structures. But the article itself is shaky on details (suggesting Albany is in SE Ga, poor mesolow identification, and perhaps dubious claims about Dixie Alley [or at least this outbreak, which was generally S of usual area])
JeopardyTempest
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-25T09:57:42.397Z
So if anyone will come before you and claim "oh, this is what made this setup so special", and just presents one of these maps showing the features, any reasons suggested are probably real oversimplification.  Before being educated in meteorology articles like the one linked seemed great... but after better education, honestly they seem to be more meandering prose than sharp information.  Even though it is indeed definitely great to look visually at the true ingredients layout, and even can indeed help forecasting/understanding at times. I'll try to explain more in an answer.
JeopardyTempest
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-25T11:40:09.467Z
As to your 07/07/99 event, always odds to not get radar, but I see it doesn't show up at http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/current/mcview.phtml?prod=usrad&java=script&mode=archive. Looks like the only radar back then had a limited sight region (http://www.atmos.washington.edu/%7Ecliff/actualCoverage.gif) but did cover the area you are looking for. Looks like there may've been radar issues: the Amazon download site shows files missing all of the 6th, then nothing until 8-15Z on the 8th. But that DOES match your window. So looks like radar data may be there if you want to go digging into it more.
JeopardyTempest
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-25T11:45:40.013Z
You can get the data at https://s3.amazonaws.com/noaa-nexrad-level2/index.html, but you'll need a program to display it too (perhaps try a trial of GRLevel3 if you don't have it).
JeopardyTempest
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-25T12:58:53.087Z
Here's proof of concept from downloading one image.  https://i.sstatic.net/3o3So.png  Can go back half an hour beforehand.  Unfortunately the viewer I usually use works on Level 3, but oddly the NCDC archives don't seem to have that for this time.  But given enough effort you could probably do it.  Easiest might end up being pyart (https://eng.climate.com/2015/10/27/how-to-read-and-display-nexrad-on-aws-using-python/), though I'm not experienced with it myself.  But the https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/wct/ package was how I made this image.
JeopardyTempest
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-25T13:00:50.330Z
(On Amazon, you want KATX, which is the Seattle radar)
JeopardyTempest
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-26T01:33:28.783Z
Is it possible to connect pyart to a web UI? That way I can deploy to Heroku (or even c9.io if need be) and be able to view the Level II images via a web browser. I won't have to worry about admin privileges (e.g. at a school library)
spillthrill
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-26T03:13:05.307Z
sounds like you know way more than I do about such!!!  Perhaps you could post that as a separate question in one of the software SE, or maybe even here, though I doubt you'd get much help here.
JeopardyTempest
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-26T23:45:07.450Z
Which SE site do you think is the most appropriate to ask the question "How can I deploy pyart to Heroku/DO as a web application"? I don't want to get yelled at, downvoted and have my question "closed as off-topic". Software Engineering SE won't work. Maybe Webapps.SE. I'm definitely not going to ask on Stack Overflow; asking a question on SO would be, in the words of the TV Tropes wiki, "schmuck bait".
spillthrill
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-27T00:45:27.687Z
I'm surprised to find no StackExchange posts on pyart, I thought it was more popular and under widespread use, but shows how little I know about it.  I see questions on Heroku at SO, so who knows.  Maybe start here, and if you get no help, get it transferred over there?  I don't know why it would be off topic, but then I don't really know how complicated such a setup would be or what challenges it would entail.  Maybe you can post specific questions about challenges you get when trying to get it to work?  But seems useful to me at least, one I'd be interested in seeing the result of.
JeopardyTempest
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-27T02:18:17.507Z
"I  don't know why it would be off topic..." Oh, you haven't heard? https://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/5d36pr/how_we_make_money_at_stack_overflow_2016_edition/da1ky1o/ (also reference https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/4b1ei1/in_software_development_what_are_stronglytyped/d15je3n/)
spillthrill
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-27T04:51:48.437Z
I know there can be a penchant for actions that can definitely be draconian and hindering at SE sites at times.  No network site is entirely safe from it.  It's a pity, and some early responses definitely slowed my passion for certain SE sites too.  But over time, have learned to try, and sometimes thing will work out better than you expect.  Be the change you want to see, right? :-)
JeopardyTempest
<meteorology><weather-forecasting><severe-weather><mesoscale-meteorology>
How can I learn to make mesoscale/synoptic analyses of major weather events?
spillthrill
# How can I learn to make mesoscale/synoptic analyses of major weather events?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-01-24)

With the tornado outbreak in southern Georgia and northern/central Florida on Sunday that has tragically resulted in significant loss of life, eyes are once again on the weather. I was particularly impressed by the synoptic analysis done by the [Capital Weather Gang](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2017/01/23/inside-the-deadly-tornado-outbreak-that-struck-the-south/) over at the Washington Post.

I've always found this kind of mesoscale "tale of the tape" analysis to be interesting. Accuweather has made these kinds of analyses/maps, see [3/2/12](https://i.sstatic.net/sAcph.jpg).

I would like to be able to look at upper-air and surface charts, and be able to explain the weather. How can I do that? What would I have to learn?

Through lots of studying of NWS upper air and surface charts, nullschool.net maps, and reading [Cliff Mass's blog](http://cliffmass.blogspot.com), I was able to draw some crude Microsoft Paint renditions of the basic summer weather pattern in the Pacific Northwest:

[![PNW map 1](https://i.sstatic.net/73Qcr.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/73Qcr.png)

[![PNW map 2](https://i.sstatic.net/UVNa9.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/UVNa9.png)

Furthermore, I was also to depict a map of the atmospheric conditions during the 4/27/2011 tornado outbreak, utilizing William Smith's [excellent analysis](http://toweringcumulonimbus.blogspot.ca/2011/05/destruction-and-tragedy-in-dixie-april.html) (you'll want to click on the image for a larger resolution):

[![4-27-11](https://i.sstatic.net/ByQME.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/ByQME.png)

But I want to learn how to do this on my own. I want to be able to look at charts, and use the charts to make an analysis of a weather event. I'll give you a good example of what I want to do:

During the early morning hours of July 7th, 1999, thunderstorms erupted over southwestern British Columbia and interior sections of WA near the Strait of Juan de Fuca. I know this because I lived through them, I was 7 years old at the time and they kept me up all night. NWS radar archives did not register any precipitation, but [Plymouth State University's archives did](http://vortex.plymouth.edu/cgi-bin/rad/gen-mdr-a.cgi?re=nw&va=all&yy=99&mm=07&dd=07&hh=09&ge=640x480&pg=web). Plymouth State's archives also have upper-air analyses; the [00Z 7 Jul 99 analysis](http://vortex.plymouth.edu/cgi-bin/upa/gen-ctrmap-a.cgi?re=nw&le=500&va=hght&in=20&pl=cf&yy=1999&mm=07&dd=07&hh=00&sc=1.0&ge=1024x768&pg=web) shows the shortwave trough draped from the Puget Sound up to southern Vancouver Island. What I want to do is to learn how to forecast the weather at a basic level, then apply this knowledge and look at the upper air, mid-level, and surface analyses, then be able to put them all together to understand this event occurred. I then want to apply this knowledge to be able to predict or analyze other convective thunderstorm events or other major weather events. Other people have recommended reading the content at [theweatherprediction.com](http://theweatherprediction.com/).

Thank you.

**Tags:** meteorology, weather-forecasting, severe-weather, mesoscale-meteorology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: To be honest, I'm not sure these are often the groundbreaking information they seem. The Accuweather image is basically shows the setup of any decent maturing low pressure system. The upper jet always is collocated with healthy fronts. The CWG article hits more details, but mainly via the SPC MDs, which indeed do go into finer details like mesolows and multi-warm front structures. But the article itself is shaky on details (suggesting Albany is in SE Ga, poor mesolow identification, and perhaps dubious claims about Dixie Alley [or at least this outbreak, which was generally S of usual area])  
> **username_1**: So if anyone will come before you and claim "oh, this is what made this setup so special", and just presents one of these maps showing the features, any reasons suggested are probably real oversimplification.  Before being educated in meteorology articles like the one linked seemed great... but after better education, honestly they seem to be more meandering prose than sharp information.  Even though it is indeed definitely great to look visually at the true ingredients layout, and even can indeed help forecasting/understanding at times. I'll try to explain more in an answer.  
> **username_1**: As to your 07/07/99 event, always odds to not get radar, but I see it doesn't show up at http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/current/mcview.phtml?prod=usrad&java=script&mode=archive. Looks like the only radar back then had a limited sight region (http://www.atmos.washington.edu/%7Ecliff/actualCoverage.gif) but did cover the area you are looking for. Looks like there may've been radar issues: the Amazon download site shows files missing all of the 6th, then nothing until 8-15Z on the 8th. But that DOES match your window. So looks like radar data may be there if you want to go digging into it more.  
> **username_1**: You can get the data at https://s3.amazonaws.com/noaa-nexrad-level2/index.html, but you'll need a program to display it too (perhaps try a trial of GRLevel3 if you don't have it).  
> **username_1**: Here's proof of concept from downloading one image.  https://i.sstatic.net/3o3So.png  Can go back half an hour beforehand.  Unfortunately the viewer I usually use works on Level 3, but oddly the NCDC archives don't seem to have that for this time.  But given enough effort you could probably do it.  Easiest might end up being pyart (https://eng.climate.com/2015/10/27/how-to-read-and-display-nexrad-on-aws-using-python/), though I'm not experienced with it myself.  But the https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/wct/ package was how I made this image.  
> **username_1**: (On Amazon, you want KATX, which is the Seattle radar)  
> **username_0**: Is it possible to connect pyart to a web UI? That way I can deploy to Heroku (or even c9.io if need be) and be able to view the Level II images via a web browser. I won't have to worry about admin privileges (e.g. at a school library)  
> **username_1**: sounds like you know way more than I do about such!!!  Perhaps you could post that as a separate question in one of the software SE, or maybe even here, though I doubt you'd get much help here.  
> **username_0**: Which SE site do you think is the most appropriate to ask the question "How can I deploy pyart to Heroku/DO as a web application"? I don't want to get yelled at, downvoted and have my question "closed as off-topic". Software Engineering SE won't work. Maybe Webapps.SE. I'm definitely not going to ask on Stack Overflow; asking a question on SO would be, in the words of the TV Tropes wiki, "schmuck bait".  
> **username_1**: I'm surprised to find no StackExchange posts on pyart, I thought it was more popular and under widespread use, but shows how little I know about it.  I see questions on Heroku at SO, so who knows.  Maybe start here, and if you get no help, get it transferred over there?  I don't know why it would be off topic, but then I don't really know how complicated such a setup would be or what challenges it would entail.  Maybe you can post specific questions about challenges you get when trying to get it to work?  But seems useful to me at least, one I'd be interested in seeing the result of.  
> **username_0**: "I  don't know why it would be off topic..." Oh, you haven't heard? https://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/5d36pr/how_we_make_money_at_stack_overflow_2016_edition/da1ky1o/ (also reference https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/4b1ei1/in_software_development_what_are_stronglytyped/d15je3n/)  
> **username_1**: I know there can be a penchant for actions that can definitely be draconian and hindering at SE sites at times.  No network site is entirely safe from it.  It's a pity, and some early responses definitely slowed my passion for certain SE sites too.  But over time, have learned to try, and sometimes thing will work out better than you expect.  Be the change you want to see, right? :-)  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-01-25. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

You're definitely on the right path with wanting to dig into raw data yourself. [RAP](http://weather.rap.ucar.edu/) has always been a pretty solid source of useful basic data.

But in terms of making sense of the data, it indeed will take some practice. You can feel like you're not getting it at all, but suddenly pieces will start to click, much like riding a bike.

Basically, you need to start building from those that know these things. As such, one good insight can be in reading NWS forecast discussions, which you can find among the rich data at [kamala.cod.edu](http://kamala.cod.edu/) or in one big set at [this NWS link](http://forecast.weather.gov/product_sites.php?site=NWS&product=AFD).

But, at least in terms of storms, I think the place to start has to be the same place that the CWG article relied upon: the [Storm Prediction Center](http://www.spc.noaa.gov/). Specifically:

* [Convective outlooks](http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/) will explain the day's weather picture and large key features
* [Mesoscale discussions](http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/md/) offer insight into the finer details that make all the difference, ones which even the most seasoned meteorologists may not always recognize.
* Then the [mesoanalysis tool](http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/mesoanalysis/) allows you to dig more into the data yourself and see overlays of a deep variety of parameters. But the tool that may be right down your alley may be the [composite map generator tool](http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/compmap/), which allows you to combine just the noteworthy parts of the key elements onto one image and see how they line up.
* And then the [Severe Weather Events Archive](http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/events/) allows you to dig into a great deal of past events, and the [Outbreaks Browser](http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/outbreaks/) lets you see the bigger events in a very sharp, graphical way.

And there's plenty of other great things there too; climatologies, publications, education pages, etc. Now, obviously the majority of this information focuses most directly on severe weather setups (though the SPC does actually also issue winter weather mesoscale discussions [the WPC now does [heavy rain MDs](http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/metwatch/metwatch_mpd.php), and of course the [NHC](http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/) does the main discussions on tropical systems]), and only regard US events. But these tools can really help even those interested more in other areas and topics get a better understanding of the bigger picture, which sync up well into just about every topic of synoptic and mesoscale meteorology, regardless of location.

Now, in terms of helping you personally narrow down onto the key elements, so that you could make your own composite map... the [classic ingredients necessary for thunderstorms](http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/tstorms/ingredient.html) (also see [here](http://www.theweatherprediction.com/habyhints/141/)) can be a good starting point:

1. Instability... the predisposition of rising air to continue rising. Basically warm (and moist) surface air and anomalously cold air aloft.
2. Moisture... high dewpoints create clouds more readily, form them at lower heights (important for tornadoes), and produce more precipitation/energy for storms. Plus it helps the instability.
3. Trigger... something to get the air moving to rise so that the ingredients can be realized. There are a WIDE range of possibilities here. Important ones for storms include [fronts](http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/af/frnts/home.rxml), the [dryline](http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/af/frnts/dfdef.rxml), vorticity advection aloft (incoming vort maxes you see spinning around on [water vapor imagery](http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/ramsdis/online/loop.asp?data_folder=goes-west_goes-east/goes-east_16km_psir3&width=640&height=480)), [favorable jet streak quadrants](http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/cyc/upa/vrt.rxml), strong temperature advection (e.g. [low-level jets](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjU0ko41_a4)), [outflow boundaries](http://lukemweather.blogspot.com/2011/06/storms-firing-on-outflow-boundary.html), [seabreezes/lakebreezes/riverbreezes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_breeze), [gravity waves](http://www.spc.noaa.gov/coolimg/gwavecb.htm), [diffluence aloft](http://theweatherforums.com/archive/index.php?/topic/15745-diffluence-and-divergence/), [terrain/orographic lift](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orographic_lift), [horizontal convection rolls/cloud streets](http://tornado.sfsu.edu/Geosciences/classes/m835/Cases/HCR/HCR.html), [isentropic upglide](http://www.theweatherprediction.com/habyhints/116/), and [differential heating boundaries](http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/pdf/10.1175/1520-0493(1998)126%3C2117%3ASMPDTP%3E2.0.CO%3B2). Suffice to say there are a lot of options in play, though some are more common than others. But you'd be surprised how quickly you can get used to finding them with practice. (And it's really a pity there isn't greater information/graphics/videos/explanations on some of those topics... perhaps some of these will eventually work their way here to be questions that can encourage a better, clearer reference to form)

And finally, to really ramp up severe weather, and also primary to tornado threat, you add in ingredient four...

4. Wind shear... different winds at different height. A combination of how much directional difference there is and how much speed difference. Significantly impacted by upper level jet streaks, low-level jets, and the direction of the surface flow is.

This may sound like a ton. But taking a second look at that Accuweather graphic, it's those same ingredients:
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/iJyxc.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/iJyxc.jpg)

So with those basics to start at, the pictures have a pattern to them. And then when you add in the finer details discussed, you can really find the deeper things you won't on the more basic composites. You can see what really DID make all the difference. In the end, it's an investigative science, a continual game of making and refining theories, and it's something you only get better at with practice. Even top meteorologists still don't always have the answers; I don't know whether anyone has come up with a perfect explanation yet for why the supercells on Sunday in Central Florida didn't produce prolific tornadoes. Forecasts do still fail. And so we're always trying to better clear up the details of each past event, so that we'll be better at the next one.

A couple final links... it seems like [this journal article](http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/pdf/10.1175/1520-0434(1986)001%3C0164:STFAHP%3E2.0.CO%3B2) might be fairly interesting and approachable for you... and then websites like [Stormtrack](http://www.stormtrack.org) can be a really great asset, as that's where quite a few chasers/meteorologists often congregate to discuss big weather events. The more time you spend looking at this stuff, engaging in conversation, challenging the reasoning you/others have, and learning, the better you'll be able to form a clearer picture of what's going on. A much better picture than any news article will ever give!

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: username_1 coming in for me again with another clutch maneuver! Is there anything you *can't* do?  
> **username_0**: Just as an aside, my other idea was to email Dr. Cliff Mass over at the University of Washington, but he's a busy man and I don't think he'd have the time to answer this question, especially since I'm not a UW student. Perhaps if I phrased it as, "can you suggest some academic papers that go over thunderstorm events in coastal interior areas of Washington and BC?"  
> **username_1**: It's before my time and the opposite end of the country from me, so no surprise I don't know it. But sometimes the events we remember aren't the ones others do... I'm surprised it's not on a page like http://www.climate.washington.edu/stormking/mainindex.html or http://web.archive.org/web/20000417204756/http://www.seawfo.noaa.gov/WEBPNS.txt So it may be something Dr. Mass doesn't have much on. But it doesn't hurt to send an email along the lines of "Dr Mass, I'm looking for more information on a storm event from July 7th, 1999, do you have anything on it?"  
> **username_1**: And if he doesn't have much, there are surprisingly good data archives out there which we can use to pull the basic information on it together, but will take a bit of work.  
> **username_1**: (you may also find http://web.archive.org/web/20000304031152/http://www.seawfo.noaa.gov/WATOP10.htm interesting, though offtopic to this)  
> **username_0**: As for your suggeston on what to email Dr. Mass, I honestly think the question is a bit too specific for such a busy man (he's chair of Atmospheric Sciences at UW). I was just telling you about the alternative options I weighed before asking this question to Earsci.SE. And one more thing: do you know if the NWS has a way of letting you make a composite map of archived data? The link which you sent me only allows you to see a comp map of real time data. I can't always wait around for storms to erupt.  

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