ATM 401/501
Synoptic Laboratory II
Spring 2009

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Instructor: Lance F. Bosart, ES 227
Phone: 518-442-4564
Fax: 518-442-4494
Email: bosart at atmos.albany.edu

TA: Heather Archambault, ES-234
Phone: 518-442-4515
Email: heathera at atmos.albany.edu

Class Materials:

1. Handouts.

2. Refereed literature.

3. Web-based NCEP documentation.

4. Severe Convective Storms, C. A. Doswell, Ed., 2001 Meteor. Monogr., 27, No. 49, American Meteorological Society, 570 pp.

5. Extreme Weather, C. C. Burt, 2005, Norton Press, 304 pp

6. Northeast Snowstorms, Vol. I and II, Paul Kocin and Louis Uccellini, 2005. American Meteorological Society, 818 and 296 pp., respectively

7. Bosart, L. F., and H. B. Bluestein, Eds., 2008: Synoptic-Dynamic Meteorology and Weather Analysis and Forecasting: A Tribute to Fred Sanders. Meteor. Monogr., No. 55, Amer. Meteor. Soc., 440 pp.

8. Texts: Bluestein (1992, 1993) Vol I, II; Martin (2006)

9. Best of all, the real atmosphere.

Course Structure:

1. Topical exams, class assignments: 40%

2. Two projects: 50%

   1. format: standard AMS journals

   2. length: 2000 words maximum

   3. deadlines: Tu 31 March 2009 (macroclimatology); Th: 30 April 2009 (weather analysis and forecasting)

3. Class participation in current weather discussions and the forecast game: 10%

4. Project Presentations: Time to be determined

Forecasting:

1. Forecast both ALB/EXT games.

2. Forecast on class days, and often enough on other days to make the ALB/EXT rankings (Landin rules on forecast numbers apply).

Lecture-Laboratory Topics:

1. Application of QG principles and PV thinking to weather analysis and forecasting on the synoptic and mesoscale.

2. Sounding analysis (fronts, PBL, jets, cloud layers).

3. Global macroclimatology and regional/local climatology.

4. Satellite analysis and interpretation.

5. Numerical weather prediction applications.

6. Use of ensembles in weather forecasting.

7. Severe weather and QPF forecasting exercises.