Cloud tops

[PTK]

Has anyone come across a quick and accurate method of determinng cloud tops? Something quicker than calculating it from IR satellite imagery?

[Bob - S50]

Quick?  Yes.  Accurate?  The weather?  Maybe.

Skew-T plots.

[Guitarmaster]

Skew-T

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[ArtVandelay]

I use this:

[Hank]

The most accurate way to find cloud tops is to climb through them . . . . Then file a PIREP so the rest of us know what they were.

Leaving the Summit, a friend a couple hours ahead said he broke out at 5700 and flew to Atlanta in the clear. My course was shorter and a little west, and I was solid IMC at 7000 until almost even with Montgomery. Someone who left a couple hours after me was solid IMC almost to Birmingham.

The thing about the weather is, you get what you get . . . . .

[aviatoreb]

16 minutes ago, teejayevans said:

I use this:

Im on aviation weather page now - I can't see which button navigates me to clouds forecast you are showing.

[gsengle]

ADDS flight path tool. Go to relative humidity. 95-100 relative is where the clouds are. You get to see vert slice of atmosphere from I believe the MOS computer model derived from skewT and other inputsz

[ArtVandelay]

Im on aviation weather page now - I can't see which button navigates me to clouds forecast you are showing.

Forecasts to aviation, select plot =clouds

[aviatoreb]

9 minutes ago, teejayevans said:

Forecasts to aviation, select plot =clouds

Thanks!

[kortopates]

The easiest to use web site for clouds and could tops is windytv.com - way above the rest. SkewTLogPro is great for a point in space, like your departure and destination, but not that helpful is x-ctry planning IMO.


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[ArtVandelay]

The easiest to use web site for clouds and could tops is windytv.com - way above the rest. SkewTLogPro is great for a point in space, like your departure and destination, but not that helpful is x-ctry planning IMO.


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I use their app, it doesn't seem to have cloud tops, just %.

[carusoam]

Andrew, more details, if able?

I looked up flight meteo.... in the App Store But din't find exact name. It suggested sky met as a similar app... and another but required 5usd... to not be comfortable.  

Thanks bud, (mate?)

-a-

[kortopates]

11 hours ago, teejayevans said:

I use their app, it doesn't seem to have cloud tops, just %.

I haven't yet used their app, so their website may have different functionality than their app. Their website allows you to look at total clouds, low clouds only, middle clouds only, high clouds only (all by coverage from Scattered, Few etc.), cloud tops and cloud bases. The cloud tops function itself, which does 0, 15K, 30K etc  doesn't give as much resolution as just toggling between Low, Middle and High. Its based on the same data as the GFA forecast tool on aviationweather.gov replacing our textual forecast area, but I find Windytv.com provides much better graphics, better resolution and also lets you choose between different resolution models (NAM, ECMWF and more).

[Piloto]

Check https://skyvector.com/ On Layers select Cloud Top Height. The cloud tops show in different colors.

José

[ArtVandelay]

Check https://skyvector.com/ On Layers select Cloud Top Height. The cloud tops show in different colors.

José

Since they appear to start at 30000' as the minimum, not very useful for Mooney pilots. And it's showing current weather, not a forecast.

[Piloto]

On ‎10‎/‎16‎/‎2017 at 3:05 PM, teejayevans said:

Since they appear to start at 30000' as the minimum, not very useful for Mooney pilots. And it's showing current weather, not a forecast.

When you zoom in you will notice three different shades of gray for cloud tops below FL300.

José

[Robert C.]

While I like (and use) the AWC forecast pages a lot, they do have shortcomings. Scott Denstaedt has commented numerous times on what they are (sadly he favors Beechtalk  ).

The main one: while very decent for stratus it doesn't really capture convective well at all. It can predict clear skies and you'll fly under/above/through cumulus all day long.

Most of the SkewLogT apps and websites have route functions that give you a very good idea of convective as well as stratus. A funky site is GRAMET/Ogimet. Not the most intuitive and user friendly interface and It doesn't work when the RUC Soundings are being processed (i.e. evenings East Coast time) but when it works it gives a very nice route visualization of the weather you can expect at various altitudes. http://ogimet.com/display_gramet.php?lang=en&icao=KDXR_KASH&hini=02&tref=1508286034&hfin=04&fl=100&submit=submit  (Look at the sidebar for Gramet Aero). Another site with route function is: http://www.skewt.aero/# and it seems to work 24/7 but is harder to interpret.

Robert

[FLYFST]

If you use an iPhone or iPad download and use SkewTLogPro - very useful


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