WXP version 5
Program Reference

FO_PARSE

Sections

NAME

fo_parse - MOS data display program

SYNOPSIS

fo_parse [parameters...] filename

PARAMETERS

Command Line Resource Default Description
-h help No Lists basic help information.
-df=filename default .wxpdef Sets the name of the resource file.
-na=name name fo_parse Specifies the name used in resource file parsing.
-ba batch No Run program in batch mode
-me=level message out2 Specifies level of messages to be displayed
  • file information - mess
-fp=filepath file_path current directory Specifies location of database files.  
-dp=datapath data_path current directory Specifies the location (path) of the input raw data files. This may be modified in the name convention file.
-nc=name_conv name_conv name_conv The name convention file specifies how files are named in WXP. This sets which name convention file to use.
-if=in_file in_file mos_dat Specifies the input file name tag. The default is mos_dat, but it can be modified to any value in the filename convention file. A full name convention can be specified as well.
-cu=[hour|la] current None This specifies to use current data files. The current filename is based on the name convention. An optional hour can be specified for older data. If la is specified, the program will search back to find the most recent available file.
-ho=hour hour None This resource specifies the exact hour that a data file is valid for. This locks in the start hour for a multi-file sequence.
-mo=model model ngm Specifies the model to use as input data.
  • ngm -- Use Nested Grid Model (NGM) MOS data (FOUS14) (DEFAULT),
  • mrfx -- Use Medium Range Forecast (MRF) MOS data (FOX),
  • ngm_ua -- Use upper air NGM MOS (FOUE,M,W60-78)
  • eta_ua -- Use upper air ETA MOS (FOUS60-78)
-id=identifier identifier User prompt Used to plot a specific observation.
-pa=param[,param...] parameter None Specifies additional parameters. See the parameter resource for more details.
filename[#seq] filename None
User Pompt
Batch: current=la
The name of the MOS data file to be plotted. An optional sequence number can be added to designate the time for non-WXP files.

DESCRIPTION

This program displays MOS (Model Output Statistics) data for a specified station. The input to the program is a raw ingested MOS data file. The program will display data from 4 different model sources:

  1. NGM - MOS statistical forecast data derived from the NGM model.   This includes many parameters such as max/min temperature, 3 hourly estimates of temperature, dewpoint, precipitation, winds, etc.
  2. NGM_UA - This is derived directly from the NGM model grids and represent data such as boundary layer temperature, relative humidity, sea level pressure, lifted index, 1000-500 mb thickness and vertical velocity.
  3. ETA_UA - This is very similar to the NGM_UA except the data are from the ETA model.  This includes lowest level temperatures, relative humidity, sea level pressure, lifted index, 1000-500 mb thickness and vertical velocity.
  4. MRFX - This is derived extended range forecast data taken from the MRF model run once a day. The data include max/min temperature, probability of precipitation, winds, and cloud coverage reported once every 12 hours.

The model type can be changed with the model resource.

The programs starts off by prompting the user for input MOS file name.  For some ingestors, such as the LDM, the list may contain many files that don't contain plottable MOS data.  Only the 0 and 12Z data files are usable. The user may specify the input file either via the command line of through the current resource. The input naming convention is specified by the mos_dat tag but this can be changed with the in_file resource.

NOTE: The program assumes that the model data for all model types are contained in a single file type represented by the mos_dat tag. If the model types are in different files, the tag must be specified in the in_file resource. Both model and tag can be specified simulatenously if the model type is contained in the tag.  For example, using mos_ngm_ua for the tag for NGM_UA data.  The program will see the "ngm_ua" in the tag and use that model type.

Next, the program prompts the user for the station identifier. This will generally be a 3 letter identifier (US stations without the leading 'K').

Next the program will search for the particular station in the specified model data. The output of the program will vary on the model specified.

Model NGM

  NGM MOS data for IND
Initial time: 00Z 29 SEP 97

 HOUR   TIME   TEMP DEW  DIR SPD  CIL COV  VIS  WX  MX/MN POP12 SNOW
   6   29/ 6Z    59  53  260  11  250 BKN  10
  12   29/12Z    54  49  240  11  250 SCT  10
  18   29/18Z    70  48  250  22  250 SCT  10
  24   30/ 0Z    66  50  290  18  250 SCT  10         73    21
  30   30/ 6Z    57  50  280  12  250 BKN  10
  36   30/12Z    54  49  280  12  250 BKN  10         52    30
  42   30/18Z    65  51  300  15   20 BKN  10
  48    1/ 0Z    60  50  320  11  250 SCT  10         68     8
  54    1/ 6Z    54  50  310   5      CLR
  60    1/12Z    51  48  300   5      CLR             49     0       

The columns are:

Model NGM_UA, ETA_UA

  NGM MOS data for IND
Initial time: 00Z 29 SEP 97

 HOUR   TIME    PSL   PREC  DIR  SPD  THK   LI  VERT
   0   29/ 0Z   1004        280   18  5630    1   3.9
   6   29/ 6Z   1005  0.00  300   21  5550    3   1.8
  12   29/12Z   1005  0.00  260   21  5560    5  -3.8
  18   29/18Z   1001  0.00  240   19  5600    5  -1.2
  24   30/ 0Z    999  0.00  270   28  5600    2   0.6
  30   30/ 6Z   1002  0.00  280   23  5580    5  -0.3
  36   30/12Z   1004  0.00  290   24  5580    7  -0.9
  42   30/18Z   1009  0.00  310   12  5600    8  -3.0
  48    1/ 0Z   1013  0.00  330   15  5610    8  -3.5
Total:                0.00                    

The columns are:

Model MRF

  MRF MOS data for IND
Initial time: 00Z 28 SEP 97

 DAY   DATE   MAX NRM        MIN NRM        CLOUDS   WINDS   POP12
  0   28 SEP   72  71 ( +1)       49            61       9      31
  1   29 SEP   68  71 ( -3)   51  49 ( +2)  42  39   8  14  16  24
  2   30 SEP   67  71 ( -4)   49  49 ( +0)  55  68   9  11  31  25
  3    1 OCT   67  71 ( -4)   45  49 ( -4)  44  39   5   7  17   8
  4    2 OCT   73  71 ( +2)   47  49 ( -2)  31  41   4   7   9  12
  5    3 OCT   72  71 ( +1)   52  49 ( +3)  37  45   6   8  14  21
  6    4 OCT   73  71 ( +2)   50  49 ( +1)  42  52   7   9  19  22
  7    5 OCT   68  71 ( -3)   49  49 ( +0)  50  50   6  10  25  22       

The columns are:

Present Weather Determination

The estimated type of weather on NGM plots is based on the following information:

  1. Precipitation based on probability of precipitation > 30%,
  2. Precipitation type based on PTYPE field (rain, snow, freezing rain),
  3. Precipitation intensity based on quantitative precipitation QPF field (see below),
  4. Existence of thunderstorms based on probability of thunderstorm > 20%,
  5. Existence of severe thunderstorms based on severe thunderstorm probability > 30%,
  6. Existence of obscuration (fog/haze) based on VIS field < 1 mile where obscuration type determined by OBVIS field.

Precipitation type and intensity based on 6 hour information

Type 1 2 3 4 5
Rain R- R- R- R R+
Freezing ZR- ZR- ZR ZR+ ZR+
Snow S- S- S S+ S+

Precipitation type and intensity based on 12 hour information

Type 1 2 3 4 5 6
Rain R- R- R- R- R R+
Freezing ZR- ZR- ZR- ZR ZR+ ZR+
Snow S- S- S- S S+ S+

EXAMPLES

   fo_parse -cu=la -mo=ngm -id=IND

This displays NGM data for IND:

  NGM MOS data for IND
Initial time: 00Z 29 SEP 97
 HOUR   TIME   TEMP DEW  DIR SPD  CIL COV  VIS  WX  MX/MN POP12 SNOW
   6   29/ 6Z    59  53  260  11  250 BKN  10
  12   29/12Z    54  49  240  11  250 SCT  10
  18   29/18Z    70  48  250  22  250 SCT  10
  24   30/ 0Z    66  50  290  18  250 SCT  10         73    21
  30   30/ 6Z    57  50  280  12  250 BKN  10
  36   30/12Z    54  49  280  12  250 BKN  10         52    30
  42   30/18Z    65  51  300  15   20 BKN  10
  48    1/ 0Z    60  50  320  11  250 SCT  10         68     8
  54    1/ 6Z    54  50  310   5      CLR
  60    1/12Z    51  48  300   5      CLR             49     0       

FILES

SEE ALSO


Last updated June 10, 1998