Effects of Synoptic Surveillance on model forecasts for
19 September 2005 1800 UTC
Rita.


Quicktime movie of AVN DLM wind model forecast
Quicktime movie of DLM wind data increment


TRACK AND INTENSITY PERFORMANCE

TRACK (km)
MODEL12 h24 h36 h48 h60 h72 h84 h96 h108 h120 h
AVNN 15 51 52 55 60149241330362342
AVNO 23 92 65 61 23 90128136128 56
%IMP-53%-80%-25%-11%62%40%47%58%65%84%
GFNO 23 72 72 55 39 98141180214264
GFDL 15 52 40 15 78129182231252277
%IMP35%28%44%73%-100%-32%-29%-36%-17%-5%
INTENSITY (kt)
MODEL12 h24 h36 h48 h60 h72 h84 h96 h108 h120 h
AVNN-32-58-81-115-122-90-76-69-58 -1
AVNO-25-51-74-107-112-79-67-60-48 -7
%IMP22%12% 9% 7% 8%12%12%13%17%-600%
GFNO 45 38 10-32-43-16-12-15-10-11
GFDL 41 39 9-32-44-20-12-19-12 -8
%IMP 9%-3%10% 0%-2%-25% 0%-27%-20%27%

Landfall forecasts

24/0730 UTC 29.7N 93.7W between Johnson's Bayou, LA, and Sabine Pass 109.5 h into the forecast
MODELLATLONTIMEERRORLOCATION
AVNNNo landfall forecast
AVNO29.6894.19115.0 47.3Sabine Pass, TX
%IMP
GFNO28.9295.37104.5183.5Freeport, TX
GFDL28.6995.81104.5233.4Matagorda, TX
%IMP 0% -27%

Figure 1. NCEP 850 - 200 hPa mean wind analysis for 19 September 2005 1800 UTC (Tropical Storm Rita).

Figure 2. Track forecasts for the no dropwindsonde (NO or NN) and the all dropwindsonde (AL) runs for the AVN and GFDL models initialized on 19 September 2005 1800 UTC.

Figure 3. Initial condition differences in the 850 - 200 hPa mean wind between the no and all dropwindsonde cases for 19 September 2005 1800 UTC.

Figure 4. 12-h forecast differences in the 850 - 200 hPa mean wind between the no and all dropwindsonde cases for 19 September 2005 1800 UTC.