RASP 3Km resolution for the whole Switzerland : mesoscale weather forecast model for glider pilots    

RASP = Regional Atmospheric Soaring Prediction.    BL = (convective) Boundary Layer.    Z = GMT = UTC = Universal Time (Greenwich time).    CET = Central European Time (winter) = Z+1.   CEST = Central European Summer Time = Z+2.

Developped by Dr. John W. (Jack) Glendening, meteorologist - Implemented by J. Oberson (soaringmeteo.ch) for the whole Switzerland (march 2010). It is not guarantee that this model will be operational every day. The model software runs on a quadriprocessor 2.83GHz computer on Ubuntu-Linux environment and uses the US macroscale GFS model analysis as start reference data. I take no responsibility in the event of flight mishaps due to a wrong interpretation of these predictions ! It needs about two hours to carry out all the processes until the display on the website. Remarks, bugs reports, suggestions are welcome : info at soaringmeteo dot ch

Presentation and help from Dr Jack :    Dr Jack Home page    RASP around the world    Description of parameters    Detailed description of parameters    About weather models    Tips about CBL and sounding analysis

Presentation and help in english from myself :    About weather models    About RASP    About the convective boundary layer - CBL    About BlipMaps - RASP weather charts    About RASP sounding

Presentation and help in french/german (SwissGlider journal) from myself :  *  Macro- Meso- ou Micro-echelles / Makro- Meso oder Mikro-Skala ?  *  La couche convective limite / Atmosphärisch konvektive Grenzschicht  *  Structure de la couche convective alpine / Struktur der konvektiven Schicht in den Alpen   *  RASP, un modèle libre pour la prévision des thermiques / RASP, ein freies Modell für die Thermikprognose  *  Interprétation pratique du sondage RASP / Die Interpretation der RASP-Sondierung  *  Température, humidité et flottabilité d'un thermique / Temperatur, Feuchtigkeit und Auftrieb einer Thermik

MIDDAY or NIGHT forecast for the following day at 09Z, 12Z and 15Z. Last forecast carried out on Wednesday 22 February 2012 at 12:05Z for Thursday 23 February 2012

Forecasted charts (blipmaps) : Help and usage
Date Thursday 23
February 2012

Height of BL top 09Z 12Z 15Z
BL depth 09Z 12Z 15Z
BL top uncertainty and variability 09Z 12Z 15Z
Thermal updraft velocity (W*) 09Z 12Z 15Z
Buoyancy/Shear ratio 09Z 12Z 15Z
BL Max up/down motion (convergence areas) 09Z 12Z 15Z
Mean sea level atmospheric pressure 09Z 12Z 15Z
Surface winds 09Z 12Z 15Z
BL winds 09Z 12Z 15Z
BL top winds 09Z 12Z 15Z
Wind barbs & vertical velocity at 900 hPa 09Z 12Z 15Z
Wind barbs & vertical velocity at 850 hPa 09Z 12Z 15Z
Wind barbs & vertical velocity at 800 hPa 09Z 12Z 15Z
Wind barbs & vertical velocity at 750 hPa 09Z 12Z 15Z
Wind barbs & vertical velocity at 700 hPa 09Z 12Z 15Z
Wind barbs & vertical velocity at 600 hPa 09Z 12Z 15Z
Wind barbs & vertical velocity at 500 hPa 09Z 12Z 15Z
Surface air temperature 09Z 12Z 15Z
Surface dew point 09Z 12Z 15Z
Relative (pct) sunshine 09Z 12Z 15Z
BL cloud cover (Cu, sc, st) 09Z 12Z 15Z
Cumulus cloud base 09Z 12Z 15Z
Overcast development potential 09Z 12Z 15Z
CAPE - thunderstorm trend 09Z 12Z 15Z
3h accumulated total precipitation 6-9Z 9-12Z 12-15Z
Snow cover on the ground (macroscale) 09Z 12Z 15Z
!!! Use the clickable map below to get a RASP forecasted soundings    /    Help and usage












Thermal quality parameter (ThQ) is an experimental and empirical parameter. The purpose is to summarize at one glance over which area the thermals will be the most adapted to paragliding. It does not replace the other parameters nor the soundings. When the value of ThQ is 100%, it does mean that the BL wind is very weak, the sunshine is maximal and the BL depth is close to 1500 m or higher. If one or more of this 3 parameters become less good (i.e. more wind, less sunshine et thinner boundary layer) the value of ThQ decreases accordingly down to zero. On the other hand if two parameters are excellent but the third are very bad, e.g. Good sunshine, weak wind but very thin boundary layer) the ThQ can decrease to zero as well. Wind vectors are superimposed to have an idea of wind direction.

Le paramètre de qualité du thermique (ThQ) est un paramètre expérimental et empirique. Le but est de représenter en un coup d'oeil les zones de thermiques et de couche convective (CC) les plus adaptées au parapente. Ca ne remplace pas les autres paramètres ni les sondages. Si ThQ = 100% cela signifie que les vents moyens sont très faibles dans la CC, l'ensoleillement est maximal et l'épaisseur de la CC est proche de voire dépasse 1500 m. Si ces paramètres individuels deviennent moins favorables : vents plus forts, moins de soleil, CC plus mince, ThQ décroit progressivement jusqu'à 0%. D'autre part, si 2 paramètres sont très favorables mais le troisième très peu, ThQ = 0%. Par exemple vents très faibles et soleil maximal mais épaisseur de la CC de quelques dizaines de mètres. Les vecteurs de vents sont superposés pour avoir une idée de la direction et de la vitesse du vent.