Real-time Data Access

Table of Contents:

Real-time Data Access

So far, this Learning Guide has introduced you to McIDAS and given you the basic tools and concepts needed to use the McIDAS system. The lessons have all used data from the "Storm of the Century." However, McIDAS can also access real-time meteorological data.

Through the real-time servers at SSEC, weather text products from the National Weather Service are available, as well as conventional grid data, and surface and upper-air point data. SSEC also receives satellite imagery from both polar orbiting and geostationary satellites. This chapter will show you how to access real-time data.

The examples listed in this chapter assume that you are using the same dataset names as those used at SSEC. If your dataset names are different, you may have to change the dataset names in some of the commands.

This lesson describes how to:

set up your routing table to access real-time data
utilize McIDAS applications that use raw text data
plot and list weather watches and warnings
display current and forcasted fronts over maps and satellite data
easily list and display real-time surface observations and upper-air data
create Skew-T thermodynamic diagrams, vertical cross sections, and meteorograms
display and manipulate real-time satellite images
display real-time NEXRAD images
access real-time gridded model data

The following commands are used in this lesson:

Command	Function

DATALOC	manages and lists the client routing table
DSINFO	lists ADDE datasets on local and remote servers
FRMLIST	lists frame directory information
FRNTDISP	displays fronts from NCEP frontal positions products
GEO	finds and displays a geostationary satellite image over a point or region
GRDDISP	generates contours, streamlines or plots from grid data
GRDINFO	lists, modifies, or statistically analyzes grid point values
GRDLIST	lists grids in a dataset
HODO	plots a hodograph of upper-air data
IMGDISP	displays image data
IMGLIST	lists images in a dataset
IMGPROBE	lists or plots image data for a region of the displayed image
IMGREMAP	remaps images into different projections
LEO	finds and displays a polar orbiting satellite image over a point or region
MAP	displays a map and latitude/longitude lines on a graphics frame
MOSRPT	lists MOS forecasts for the ETA, GFS and NGM models
PTLIST	lists point data in a dataset
RAOBCON	contours upper-air data from IRAB-schema point files
RAOBPLOT	plots upper-air data from IRAB-schema point files
RAOBRPT	lists upper air (RAOB) observations
READ	lists the contents of an ADDE text dataset
SEE	lists the text in an LW file
SFCCON	contours surface hourly data from ISFC-schema point files
SFCLIST	lists surface hourly data from point files
SFCMG	displays a surface meteorogram
SFCPLOT	plots surface hourly data from ISFC-schema point files
SFCRPT	lists surface hourly observations
STNLIST	lists weather stations
UACROSS	plots a vertical cross section of upper-air data
UALIST	lists upper-air data
UAPLOT	plots a sounding on a thermodynamic diagram
WWDISP	displays active weather warnings, watches and advisories
WWLIST	lists active weather warnings, watches and advisories
WXTLIST	lists weather text products

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