| hPa | m | T°C | Td°C | RH% | Dir° | Spd kt | Θe K |
|---|
A radiosonde sounding samples T, moisture, and wind vertically from surface to ~30km. The HRRR model produces these every hour — giving a 4D picture of the fluid atmosphere above each station.
Pressure decreases logarithmically up the Y-axis (equal spacing ≈ equal altitude). Temperature lines are skewed 45° right so profiles don't overlap. Where the temperature and dewpoint curves touch: saturated air — clouds or fog.
CAPE is the positive area between a rising parcel and the environment — the "fuel" for updrafts. CIN is the negative area — the cap a parcel must punch through. High CAPE + moderate CIN = explosive afternoon storms once daytime heating breaks the cap.
The hodograph traces the wind vector tip as altitude increases. A curved shape means wind direction rotates with height — this directional shear gives supercells rotating updrafts. SRH >150 m²/s² in 0–3km is significant for tornadogenesis.
PWAT is the liquid depth if you condensed every water vapor molecule in the column. PA's May climatological mean is ~25–35mm. Values above 40mm indicate anomalous tropical moisture.
HRRR (High-Resolution Rapid Refresh) — 3km, hourly, initialized 06Z 19 May 2026. Bufkit format packs the full column forecast per station. Drop any Bufkit .txt file to replace the demo data.