Forecasting: Skew-T

VERTICAL axis (SkewT)

HORIZONTAL axis (logP)

1. Isobars
2. Isotherms
3. Dry adiabats
4. Pseudoadiabats
5. Mixing ratios

10°C / 1000 meters

Warming and cooling rates for a parcel of expanding/compressing air (cool by expansion, warm by compression)
((The rate of adiabatic warming and cooling of *unsaturated* air))

level to which an unsaturated air parcel must be lifted in order for it to become saturated and for condensation to begin

cloud base

where parcel ABOVE LCL

first level at which the temperature of the parcel is GREATER than the temperature of the environment

BUOYANT and rise W/OUT being lifted

first level above the Level of Free Convection where the temperature of the air parcel is EQUAL to the temperature of the environment

energy per unit mass (J/kg) that must be supplied to an air parcel in order to LIFT
it from the Earth’s surface to the Level of Free Convection (LFC)

MORE energy must be supplied to the parcel by some outside source for it to reach the LFC and become buoyant

energy per unit mass (J/kg), beyond that needed to do the WORK of EXPANSION, that is available to accelerate an air parcel VERTICALLY between (LFC) and (EL)

there is potentially MORE energy available to accelerate an air parcel upwards after it reaches the LFC and produce STRONGER updrafts

temperature that an air parcel at the surface MUST reach for it to become UNSTABLE and start to RISE

sunny

level at which saturation would occur if an air parcel reaches the CT and starts to rise

warming, forced

the temperature increases to the (CT) before the air starts to rise,,,,,therefore, the air parcel must rise FARTHER (higher) in order to cool until it reaches saturation (RH = 100%)