WMO Tutorial: Hiro Gosden provided assistance in creating an installation package to install the WMO Tutorial Session on the personal computers. The WMO Tutorial session was developed by Dr. James Purdom and his cohorts. (H. Gosden)

Imagery Archives: GOES-12 imagery for September through November 2005 were processed for the Regional Meteorological Training Centers (RMTCs) in Costa Rica and Barbados. The archives are being used to look at cloud frequency during the rainy and dry seasons and detect local variations from year to year. The monthly cloud frequency composites for September – November 1997-2005 by 10.7 µm temperature threshold technique for Costa Rica are presented in Figure 1. Click on image to enlarge.

Figure 1. Monthly cloud frequency composites for September -November 1997-2005 by 10.7 µm temperature threshold technique for Costa Rica.

A comparison of cloud frequency derived by temperature threshold of 10.7 µm imagery for September – November 1998 - 2005 for Barbados is shown in Figure 2. Click on image to enlarge.

Figure 2. Comparison of cloud frequency derived by temperature threshold of 10.7 µm imagery for September - November of 1998 - 2005 for Barbados.

The archived imagery also provides access to examples for use in satellite focused training efforts.

The following web pages continue to provide on-line imagery in jpg format over Central and South America and the Caribbean.

http://www.cira.colostate.edu/RAMM/rmsdsol/RMTC.html

http://www.cira.colostate.edu/RAMM/rmsdsol/COS.html (for imagery over Costa Rica and Barbados

The imagery from these sites is also available for the international weather briefings through VISITView RAMSDIS Online:

http://hadar.cira.colostate.edu/vview/vmrmtcrso.html

http://vesta.cira.colostate.edu/vview/vmrmtc1.html (B. Connell)

SICA Site: The following site continues to display satellite precipitation estimates and fire products: http://www.cira.colostate.edu/ramm/sica/main.html (B. Connell)

VISITview Weather Briefings: The WMO Virtual Laboratory Task Team conducted 3 monthly English and Spanish weather briefings through VISITview using GOES and POES satellite Imagery from CIRA ( http://hadar.cira.colostate.edu/vview/vmrmtcrso.html ) and voice via Yahoo Messenger. There were participants from the U.S.: CIRA, CIMSS, COMET, SAB at NESDIS, the International Desk at NCEP, as well as outside the U.S.: Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Cayman, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Jamaica, Panamá, Peru, Paraguay, and Venezuela. The discussions were well attended with up to 20 computer connections and multiple participants at many sites. The sessions started with comments from the participating countries on the features of interest for their local weather. After this, Mike Davison at NCEP International Desk gave an analysis. The sessions generally last 90 minutes. (B. Connell, D. Coleman)

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