Effects of Synoptic Surveillance on model forecasts for
20 September 2005 0600 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 20 44 49102195301359429531634
AVNO 39 61 78153201217244279340459
%IMP-95%-39%-59%-50%-3%28%32%35%36%28%
GFNO 15 59 46 63 97123142174238338
GFDL 32 10 30101171219242281333434
%IMP-113%83%35%-60%-76%-78%-70%-61%-40%-28%
INTENSITY (kt)
MODEL12 h24 h36 h48 h60 h72 h84 h96 h108 h120 h
AVNN-56-79-112-119-88-76-67-53 4 14
AVNO-48-67 -99-104-72-58-54-38 -6 -3
%IMP14%13%12%13%18%24%19%28%-50%79%
GFNO -8-22-39-44-20-10-14 -7 -2 -7
GFDL-16 -6-43-50-22-19-22-38-11 -7
%IMP-100%73%-10%-14%-10%-90%-57%-443%-450% 0%

Landfall forecasts

24/0730 UTC 29.7N 93.7W between Johnson's Bayou, LA, and Sabine Pass 97.5 h into the forecast
MODELLATLONTIMEERRORLOCATION
AVNN 28.1797.04114.0366.5Rockport, TX
AVNO28.6496.30102.5278.4Port Lavaca, TX
%IMP 24% 70%
GFNO29.0795.14 94.0156.0Freeport, TX
GFDL28.8995.29 88.0178.4Freeport, TX
%IMP-171% -14%

Figure 1. NCEP 850 - 200 hPa mean wind analysis for 20 September 2005 0600 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 20 September 2005 0600 UTC.

Figure 3. Initial condition differences in the 850 - 200 hPa mean wind between the no and all dropwindsonde cases for 20 September 2005 0600 UTC.

Figure 4. 12-h forecast differences in the 850 - 200 hPa mean wind between the no and all dropwindsonde cases for 20 September 2005 0600 UTC.