Mission Plan :

NOAA 43RF will conduct an NHC-tasked reconnaissance mission into TD09 in the Gulf of Mexico for a 1730 and 2330Z center fix at 5000 ft, beginning with a SE to NW and then NE to SW (105 nm legs). If time allows after the 1730Z fix, N43 will continue with the rotated Fig. 4. 2 BTs will be dropped in the SE quadrant in the initial pattern at the turn and midpoint of the inbound leg.

Mission Summary :

NOAA 43RF conducted an NHC-tasked reconnaissance mission into TD09 in the Gulf of Mexico at 5000 ft for the 1730 and 2330Z fixes. An initial SE to NW leg was shortened on the NW side to 60 nm due to a lack of interest in that direction. Per NHC request, we followed with a 105 nm N to S leg, and repeated a similar SE to NW as the first in the pattern. We then completed the pattern with a W to E leg of 60 nm inbound and 105 nm outbound. Drops were released at the turn and midpoints (although a couple of midpoint drops were skipped on the shortened legs), as well as over the center. BTs were also dropped with sondes at the initial SE turn point and the inbound midpoint that followed. Precipitation-wise the disturbance was still highly asymmetric, but was showing banding structure from the SW around to the NE. Overall the precipitation and wind field had a large E-W gradient, and appeared to be elongated somewhat SW to NE. Slight intensification, with a possible more favorable alignment of the low and midlevel centers, appeared to occur during the flight.

Jon Zawislak
Sept. 7, 2016

High Density Ob plots

Flight Level wind plots

SFMR wind plots

Flight track

Temperature and Moisture

Wind and Atlitude

LPS log | Radar log | Drop log |

Flight Director's log | Flight Director's manifest | NetCDF data | 1 second data | serial data

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