Bad map while running under Linux
Can I design my own map threat boxes?
Bufget fails on a specific URL
Can I get access to WRF forecast profiles?
The Local Time for the profiles are off by an hour
Bad map while running under Linux
Question: I tried out the latest BUFKIT on Linux via Codeweaver's Crossover 6.2.0. I got the same result as with the last version when trying to view the map in BUFKIT. Attached is the result. Any ideas?
Answer: Looking through the WINE pages, here is what they recommended:
1. Copy oleaut32.dll from a working Windows XP installation to your WINE system32 directory. This will bypass the incomplete WINE OLE automation implementations.
2. In your WINE configuration dialog, under the Libraries tab, set the oleaut32 file to native.
Following their guidance, here is my implementation:
Can I design my own map threat boxes?
Question: Can the LES boxes be "repositioned" to represent another location, e.g., if I've determined that a trajectory from Lake MI down across, say Columbus OH (CMH)...and then on to Elkins, WV (ELK) is a "favorable" trajectory, could the boxes displayed under "MAP" in Bufkit be changed to be that centric position (say over CMH) vs what appears to be a more "BUF"-centric box orientation?
Answer: You just have to create the "LES Threat Boxes" for a given wind direction. The file BUFKIT.DAT defines the lake effect snow threat boxes. BUFKIT will support up to 10 series of threat boxes (the Lake Erie series, the Georgan Bay series, etc....). Each series is make up of a wind direction followed by the four points that define the threat box for that wind direction (the threat box for 210 degrees, the threat box for 255 degrees, the threat box for 310 degrees, etc) . The points defined in latitude - longitude decimal degrees. The end of the series is defined with a -999. If a wind fall between two defined wind directions, Bufkit will interpolate the endpoints and "morph" the defined boxes.
You could append your new series, or just have your series and delete the other series.
| DATA | REMARKS | |
|---|---|---|
| 230 | Beginning of Lake Erie Series | |
| 45.10, 83.00 | This Box is for 230 degree winds | |
| 46.50, 80.75 | ||
| 45.75, 79.50 | ||
| 44.00, 82.40 | ||
| 270 | This Box is for winds at 270 degrees | |
| 45.50, 82.25 | ||
| 45.50, 79.00 | ||
| 44.80, 79.00 | ||
| 44.80, 82.25 | ||
| -999 | End of the Lake Erie series | |
| 240 | This the start of the Lake Ontario series | |
| 42.53, 80.17 | 240 degree wind box | |
| 43.73, 78.18 | ||
| 43.40, 78.08 | ||
| 42.04, 80.03 | ||
| 245 | The 245 degree box | |
| 42.53, 80.17 | Note that these wind box needs to be | |
| 43.73, 78.18 | defined very carefully as a 245 Wind | |
| 43.40, 78.08 | hits SYR while 240 misses SYR! | |
| 42.04, 80.03 | ||
| 255 | Start of 255 degree threat box | |
| 42.48, 80.18 | ||
| 43.76, 77.57 | ||
| 43.65, 77.22 | ||
| 42.28, 80.10 | ||
| -999 | End of second LES threat box |
Bufget fails on a specific URL
Question:
I went to the Get Data location and see screen shot below. When I click on GET PROFILES it did pull the NAM - the NAMM - and the GFS3. It doesn't pull anything else. Can you tell from my screen shot what I am doing wrong?
Answer: This happens if you somehow get a bad character embedded on that URL line. If you retype your target URL and delete your old "corrupted" URL, it should address the problem. For your example:
Can I get access to WFR forecast profiles?
Question: Where might I find WRF forecast profiles to download (either ARW or NMM output)? Are there sites that carry this or would I have to have it programmed myself.
Answer: The ARW, NMM, WRF, etc are all outputs from the Workstation WRF package available to NWS offices. Some post their output on their web sites:
1. Portland/Gray, ME
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/gyx/bufkitgyx.htm
look for workstation WRF "NMM" files near the bottom of the page
2. Burlington, VT
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/btv/html/bufkit.shtml
Note: 4 km resolution WRF output
3. Columbia, SC
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/cae/bufkit.htm
4. Twin Cities, MN
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mpx/bufkit.php
5. Topeka, KS
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/top/bufkit.php
6. El Paso, TX
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/elp/bufkit/bufkit.shtml
7. Sacramento, CA
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/sto/bufkit.php
Note: WRF profiles for 45 west-coast sites
8. The Far East
http://www.expweather.com/bufkit.htm
Over 100 Bufkit profiles generated from the WRF.
The Local Time for the profiles are off by an hour
Question: We just installed Bufkit 9 and have a problem with getting to show the correct time. In the setup we set ourselves to 4 hours west of UTC (EDT time zone), but no matter what we do (even adjusting the bufkit.cfg) file, it remains on UTC - 5 hours. Thus, 00Z is always 700 PM. This is fine during the winter or standard time, but not in the summer. Our clocks on the PC's are set to local time.
Answer: Bufkit takes a guess on what should be the the correct local time for a profile based upon the profile's longitude. However; if you look at a time zone map you'll see this approach along will just get you within an hour or so. For example, when we pull up the profile for Norman OK for the first time, the local timeline shows 6 hours difference between local time and UTC. Instead of 6 hours, it should be five hours.
If I click on the left "adjust button" I get the correct local timeline of a 5 hour difference:
Bufkit uses a simple internal database to track of these adjustments by individual site. If you pull up another profile for a site where you adjusted the local time line, the timeline will be correct. If you pull up a profile for a different site, you may have to tweak the timeline for that site. Over a period of a day or so, the local time database builds up so that local timeline will be correct.