Temps aloft/Inversions

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wind_shear

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Hey all, is there a simpler way to determine the temps aloft with a temperature inversion? for example, if we are at sea level and the OAT is +5C at the surface and we reference the FB at 3000ft with the temperature still at +5C. What exactly is the temperature doing between the surface and 3000ft? is it steady? decreasing slightly? It seems using the standard lapse rate calculation would prove to be inaccurate. Thanks for any insight
 
Can't really know without measuring it. But you can guess. If it is a surface-based inversion associated with a clear, calm night or early morning the temperature would remain steady or increase and then decrease by the time you got to 3,000 (in your particular scenario). Inversions aloft are possible as well, usually due to warm fronts. There is also a type called a subsidence inversion.
 
wind_shear said:
help me read this chart!
Click to expand...
Missing from my snippet is the side margins which show altitudes from the surface to way up there. But what you see here are a red temperature curve and a blue dewpoint curve. Where they join, you have clouds. Where they separate, it clears.

the temperature gauge is the diagonal red lines, which is why it's called "Skew-T." So you can see the temperature curve begin below zero at the surface, then go above zero, eventually to return to zero and below. If the marginal altitudes were in place, you'd see the temp going above zero about 2000 MSL and not going back below until about 15,000 msl.

That's a purely KISS explanation. For a deeper dive into the chart, this is a two part video I really like. Actually I came across it as a pdf and audio, contacted the author/speaker, got his PowerPoint, and put it together. The link is to the playlist. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmolGJZEeVA47V9IPxYCCSMf-ZXVAoSMh
 
I'm actually working through the Pilot workshop, Scott D presentation on Skew t usage now. So far it's been a great presentation as to how the skew t is useful to pilots.
 
midlifeflyer said:
That's a purely KISS explanation.
Click to expand...

Your quick description is exactly how I use the Skew-T Log P, at least 90% of the time. For my application, all that I'm particularly interested in, most of the time, is the possibility of icing conditions, freezing rain, etc. That simple review detects a lot of what I need to know.
 
Ryan F. said:
Your quick description is exactly how I use the Skew-T Log P, at least 90% of the time. For my application, all that I'm particularly interested in, most of the time, is the possibility of icing conditions, freezing rain, etc. That simple review detects a lot of what I need to know.
Click to expand...
I think that's true for many. In the spring and summer, though, I also like the graphical depiction of the potential for convective activity. But that needs a bit more than a KISS explanation.
 
I just completed Scott's presentation on Pilotsworkshop, great presentation, well done, took most of the mystery out of Skew t plots. I've been comparing the forecasts to the observations around here, works well.
 
PaulS said:
I just completed Scott's presentation on Pilotsworkshop, great presentation, well done, took most of the mystery out of Skew t plots. I've been comparing the forecasts to the observations around here, works well.
Click to expand...

I second this. I took this course and now reading Skew-Ts is part of my everyday flight workflow.
 
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