1.  Weather Observations

    Review of observational platforms used in synoptic and mesoscale analysis.

2.  Weather Satellites and their Imagery

    Hardware description.  Basic concepts.  Interpretation of visible, infrared, microwave, and moisture imagery.

3.  Review of the Basics
    Geostrophic, gradient, and ageostrophic wind relationships and their application to synoptic analysis. Thickness and thermal wind. Hypsometric formula.

4.  Weather Radar and Its Interpretation

    History of weather radar.  Modern radar technology.  Doppler and dual-polarization interpretation.

5.   Basic Conceptional Understanding of Fronts and Cyclones

  Norwegian Cyclone Model, including 3D evolution. Fronts and frontogenesis.  Upper-level frontal origins and evolution.  Jet streams.


6.  Modern Ideas on Synoptic Structure and Evolution

   Variations of synoptic evolution between land and water. Shapiro/Keyser model.  Three-dimensional airflow in cyclones.  Numerical simulations of       cyclone/frontal evolution.  Atmospheric rivers.

7.   Introduction to Numerical Weather Prediction and Forecasting

    Major steps in weather prediction.  Numerical weather prediction and models.  Forecast postprocessing.  AI weather prediction.  Accessing weather information. 

 

8.  Tropical Meteorology 

    Basic characteristics and comparison to midlatitudes. Easterly waves and tropical storms. Monsoons.  Streamline and isotach analyses.