In this exercise, you will create cross sectional diagrams through the gridded dataset. The cross section programs, XSECTG and XSECT have not yet been updated for ADDE, but access grid files directly. XSECT is discussed in the section on Real-time Weather Analysis

1. Show frame 6 and create a cross sectional analysis of potential temperature (THA) on a line from Boston, MA to Dallas, TX. Use the 36 hour forecast from the NGM 12 UTC run on March 12, 1993. Draw the contours in color 3 and add a map to the display.

   Type: SF 6;XSECTG FORM=THA IDS=BOS DFW GRIDF=4000 DAY=12/MAR/93 TIME=12 FHOUR=36 ERASE=YES COLOR=3 MAP=YES

2. Overlay wind speed contours using a contour interval of 10.

   Type: XSECTG FORM=SPD IDS=BOS DFW GRIDF=4000 DAY=12/MAR/93 TIME=12 FHOUR=36 OLAY=YES ERASE=NO MAP=YES CINT=10

   Using the keyword OLAY=YES, a new color is automatically selected for the overlay parameter.

3. Plot wind barbs on the cross section in white (color 7).

   Type: XSECTG FORM=WIN IDS=BOS DFW GRIDF=4000 DAY=12/MAR/93 TIME=12 FHOUR=36 OLAY=YES ERASE=NO MAP=YES COLOR=7

4. Overlay a plot of pressure at mean sea level (MSL) on the map in the cross sectional diagram. Use a contour interval of 4 mb and a label size of 6.

   Type: GRDDISP TG.1 DAY=12/MAR/93 TIME=12 FHOUR=36 PARAM=P LEV=MSL CINT=4 LSIZE=6 COLOR=1 NAV=C TITLE='SLP - 14 Mar 93/0 UTC'

5. Exit McIDAS.

   Type: EXIT

Unidata McIDAS-X Training Workshop > Grids and GRID Files