Wind Mid-Ocean

[United744]

Hi,

Been reading about the weather system, and curious about something: how does PSX handle winds mid-ocean? Can it use a real-world data source or does it fall back to the "Planet" weather model for this?

Can it support major storm systems like cyclones and hurricanes?

[Will]

Hi United744,

PSX has an impressive atmospheric model including polar and subtropical jet streams that circle the planet and vary in location and intensity by season. You can drag the jet streams around if you like, to mimic the day's upper level prog charts, or you can let PSX set them randomly. These will provide your oceanic weather.

Meanwhile, if you're letting PSX fetch METARS from the Internet, the real-time reports from ground stations will determine the weather (clouds, winds, rain, etc.) at airports. The influence of the ground stations fades out as altitude increases, so that when you're up in the high altitudes, the jet stream model is determinant. It's really a pretty good system.

Yes, storms can be modeled. If many ground stations are in the path of a cyclone, you'll get that actual weather of those stations when you're close to the ground. (For example, both Houston and New Orleans may report winds and rain from the same hurricane.) As for flying at altitude, you'd want to drag the jet streams around to mirror that day's pattern. You'll find jet stream-related turbulence in the right spots. However, the upper atmospherics of cyclones themselves are not modeled, just the jet streams.

[United744]

No probs! I thought modelling the jet streams was an interesting approach to global wind modelling.  

Some experimentation is required!

[JP59]

Just one question : does somebody have a good website to get a daily forecast view of the whole planet jet stream overview ? I only find partial charts but never a chart for the whole planet.

[Will]

NOAA has some good products. You can get most of the planet, including both polar regions, here:

http://www.aviationweather.gov/progchart

And here:

https://aviationweather.gov/iffdp/

[JP59]

Excellent will. Thank you very much !

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

By the way the wind mid-ocean is tough but survivable.


Hoppie
BIKF right now, a few more days