Effects of Synoptic Surveillance on model forecasts for
Hurricane Rita.

Assessments for each forecast time at

September 19, 2005		06 Z	12 Z	18 Z
September 20, 2005	00 Z	06 Z	12 Z	18 Z
September 21, 2005	00 Z	06 Z	12 Z	18 Z
September 22, 2005	00 Z	06 Z	12 Z	18 Z
September 23, 2005	00 Z	06 Z	12 Z	18 Z
September 24, 2005	00 Z	06 Z	12 Z

Figure 1a. Track forecast errors for the no dropwindsonde and the all dropwindsonde runs for the GFS and GFDL models for the Hurricane Rita synoptic surveillance missons.

Figure 1b. Track forecast improvements for the GFS and GFDL models for the Hurricane Rita synoptic surveillance missons.

Figure 2. Forecast errors for the landfall of Rita at Johnson's Bayou Sabine Pass, in the (a) cross- and (b) along-track directions for the no dropwindsonde and the all dropwindsonde runs for the GFS and GFDL models.