20121028H1 - Marks Time Event 0758 take off MacDill AFB - IWRAP on with LF wedge 0903 entering outer rainbands 120 nm SW of center - nice scatterers on radar 0912 passing through numerous rainbands SW of center - good Doppler coverage 0943 approaching initial point 100 nm south of center. LF shows partial eyewall crescent on W side of eye 0946 IP 100 nm S of center - combo drop #1 - not, not much rain here - bad AXBT 0956 combo drop #2 - passing to right of major cell in eyewall SSW of center - eye diameter~60 nm 0958 passing abeam of intense cell in S eyewall with tops >15 km 1003 center - combo drop #3, dropsonde bad, 31 46, 73 27, motion 040 1005 back up center dropsonde - 957 mb 1015 entering N eyewall - combo drop #4, AXBT bad - graupel briefly at 12000 ft, T=+7 C 1029 punching lines of small cells just reaching our altitude - nice bumps 1030 point 2, 120 nm N of center, turn TK 240 to point 3 combo drop #5 - just inside major band 1046 descend to 11000 ft to avoid graupel as we cut through major band with intense cells 1049 plowing through major rainband with cells 40-45 dBZ 1055 PT3, turn TK 120 to center, combo drop #6 - in heavy rainband 120 nm from center 1059 passing through big broad updraft (10 m/s) on inside edge of major rainband 100 NM NW of center 1112 combo #7 in NW eyewall, very heavy precip - big cell S of center rotated to E of center 1123 center dropsonde #8, 956 mb, 31 54 73 15, tucked up close to big cell in E eyewall, eye open to E except for big cell 1135 midpoint combo #8 (drop#9) 1144 shut off LF radar for IWRAP circle 1145 PT 4, end leg 2 combo#9 (drop #10) 1152 end IWRAP circle TK 360 to point 5, LF back on, very dry this side 1213 pt 6 do IWRAP turn, LF off 1219 turn TK 240 to center combo drop#10 (dropsonde #11) SST 25.0, LF on 1233 midpoint combo#11 (drop #12) SST 25.3 1239 AXBT#12 SST 25.4 entering open NE eyewall, big cell on E side last pass rotated around to NW of center 1243 center combo drop#13,SST 25.3, 31 57 72 59, 955 mb, rainband associated with big cell trying to wrap around the center inside Eyewall (like hub cloud) 1254 combo drop#14 AXBT bad, entering SW eyewall 1302 AXBT #15 SST 25.5, just outside eyewall and entering rainband SW of center 1308 point #7, combo drop#15 (AXBT#16) AXBT bad 1313 End leg #3, AXBT #17 Bad 1320 AXBT#18 SST 25.4 1359 LF recording stopped 1401 stopped TA radar recording 1600 land Dropsondes: 16/1 bad AXBTs: 18/6 bad Radar analyses: 3