VIPIR anyone seen this?

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John O'Reilly
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Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2003 2:20 am

VIPIR anyone seen this?

Post by John O'Reilly »

Have a look at this:

http://www.baronservices.com/Products/VIPIR/vipir.html

ciao


----- Original Message -----
From: John O'Reilly
To: Al Keating
Sent: Monday, August 16, 2004 10:38 PM
Subject: Seen this?


Models

Hurricane Charley caused a great deal of consternation for some and relief for others when it changed course inland early Friday morning. I was spared a direct hit East of Tampa while others fared much worse. Seeing the videos of screaming winds, commercial buildings turned to rubble and steel construction architecture roofs ripped off is a sobering experience and the puny preparations I had made seem almost laughable in retrospect.

The fateful turn came as a surprise to expert NOAA meteorologists and their myriad of standard pressure-based computer models. Alone against the conventional view was a product called VIPIR. It is a model based only upon radar signatures and upper winds data. It called for the inland turn as early as Wednesday evening but the local NBC affiliate that had paid a small fortune for it didn't believe the results because they conflicted with Miami. Only when the storm actually began its move did the local broadcaster weather man remark about the conflict. His tone and emphasis told me that there had been a great deal on behind the scenes discussion about the conflict. It seems that Miami did not want to change the original track, preferring to keep evacuation orders in place. In any event the decision was retained until it had to be changed.
andyg
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Posts: 42
Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2004 10:40 am

Post by andyg »

Hi John,

We use VIPIR here at channel 10 in Albany.

VIPIR is a radar interpration tool for analyzing Doppler data, either live or level II (it can even be used on post processed data like that offered by WSI, et al). It is awesome at diagnosing severe weather.

VIPIR is an acronym for Volumetric Imaging and Processing for Integrated radar).

It is not a forecasting tool but Baron's does have "the rights" to the BAMS forecast model which can be incorporated into the VIPIR system (we have it). And while it is a decent meso model it is not always right on like any model. It uses the same full compliment of data that all other models use, radar, cloud, upper air winds, RAOB and sfc data.

The best way I can describe the model is that it is a hybrid of the RUC, WRF and MM5 model. Baron's and their modelling team in NC are making
great strides at improving this model but like any model it has its major hits and busts.

It did forecast the turn more towards the north but so did the UK model too.


Andy Gregorio
Andy Gregorio
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