Effects of Synoptic Surveillance on model forecasts for
21 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 52 91128168192200268358547906
AVNO 42 931331651992223064056381173
%IMP19%-4%-4% 2%-4%-11%-14%-13%-12%-29%
GFNO 38 81122163169194258347541849
GFDL 49 911421822112563634866991063
%IMP-29%-12%-16%-12%-29%-32%-41%-40%-21%-25%
INTENSITY (kt)
MODEL12 h24 h36 h48 h60 h72 h84 h96 h108 h120 h
AVNN-103-108-77-61-57-38 -1 -9 -9 -4
AVNO -97-102-67-53-44-24 6 4 -6 0
%IMP 6% 6%13%13%23%37%-500%56%33%100%
GFNO-57-38-15-12-10 -1 -8 -6 9 1
GFDL-40-45-16 -9 -8 -8 -5 -5 5 28
%IMP30%-18%-7%25%20%-700%37%17%44%-2700%

Landfall forecasts

24/0730 UTC 29.7N 93.7W between Johnson's Bayou, LA, and Sabine Pass 73.5 h into the forecast
MODELLATLONTIMEERRORLOCATION
AVNN 28.8095.47 77.0198.6Freeport, TX
AVNO28.7595.78 78.0227.6Matagorda, TX
%IMP -29% -15%
GFNO29.0295.22 69.0165.4Freeport, TX
GFDL28.6795.84 69.5237.0Matagorda, TX
%IMP 11% -43%

Figure 1. NCEP 850 - 210 hPa mean wind analysis for 21 September 2005 0600 UTC (Hurricane 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 21 September 2005 0600 UTC.

Figure 3. Initial condition differences in the 850 - 210 hPa mean wind between the no and all dropwindsonde cases for 21 September 2005 0600 UTC.

Figure 4. 12-h forecast differences in the 850 - 210 hPa mean wind between the no and all dropwindsonde cases for 21 September 2005 0600 UTC.