Version 11.5 released!

Hi Everybody,

I’ve just released Version 11.5 of WXSIM and Version 3.4.1 of WXSIMATE, at www.wxsim.com. The changes to each are listed in the revision history section of the site and/or in the readme11.txt file. In WXSIM, these include a minor bug fix, but also another exhaustive study and recalibration of the advection routines - “behind the scenes” changes that should further enhance accuracy. There’s also a small change in the pricing, with $5 and $10 increases for WXSIM and WXSIMATE, respectively, but a bundling option that saves $9.

Thanks, as always, for the interest and support you show on this forum! :slight_smile:

Tom

Did you speed it up, too, or have I been running WxSim via VNC for so long that I don’t remember how fast it goes? It sure seems to blaze now.

It also seems faster to me .
Chuck

Nice Tom, and perfect timing! There is a potential for a storm here early next week, in fact the alarmists over at accu-weather are predicting their usual “Near Blizzard Conditions”. It is so nice to have a forecast that could care less about hype and give a true and VERY accurate prediction.

Thanks!

Jack

I don’t think I did anything that would speed it up, but I’m glad to hear it’s fast enough anyway! :slight_smile: By the way, you do have some speed control by varying the output interval and number of iterations per interval under Parameters. If you want long forecasts (like a week), you’ll probably want 1 hour output intervals, to avoid getting a “Text Box Full” message. If it’s just three or four days, you can go with 30 minute intervals. Fewer iterations per interval speeds it up, but I recommend at least 3 and maybe 6 to help preserve smoothness and accuracy.

The main thing I worked on this time was cold air advection. I’ve worked really hard on that in the past, but some recent experience and feedback made me think it might be overdoing the cold when run shortly after a cold frontal passage. Extensive work with past data confirmed a slight bias like that, so I’ve tried to correct it. Basically, a forecast made early in strong cold air advection (before it has gotten too cold yet) will now be a degree or two warmer than before (and hopefully more accurate in most cases). On the other hand, there may have been a slight warm bias for forecast overnight lows in very cold weather, if the forecast is made in the evening before the forecast morning low. This may be a bit better now, too. At any rate, I think the bias is now so small as to be swamped by random errors.

Let me know how it goes!

Tom

Cool.

What information do I need to send about my site when I send my Paypal order?

Steve

Steve,

Tom will contact you by EMail shortly after you order, but I don’t remember it being much more than coordinates and elevation. If there’s anything real unique about your local climate, he’ll want to know about that too. He then does a great deal of research for your customization, so plan on a week or so at least before you get it. He teaches full time so he probably won’t get much done until the weekend and of course there could be other orders in the hopper …

  • Jim

Hi Steve,

Usually, latitude, longitude, and elevation are sufficient, but also WD log files are usually helpful, and sometimes I have a few questions about local vegetation, topography, or your instrument set up.

At the moment, there’s one order in the “hopper”, which I’ll probably get done by Saturday. Turn around is usually a few days. Thanks for your interest! :slight_smile:

Tom

Thank you. I’ll be ordering when I get my income tax refund back.
I’m also planning on upgrading my station. Should I wait till I get that done?

Also: what would you recommend for obtaining an accurate elevation. I can get the latitude and longitude just fine from the street level view in GRLevel3. I think I have got an elevation by guestimating form some web topo map I found somewhere, but I am not absolutely sure the lines I was referencing were actually elevation contours. It is good enough for my planetarium program, but I want to be sure I have got it right bvefore you bake it into my site configuration.

Steve

HI Steve,
If you live on level ground, PM me the nearest intersection and I can look it up on one of my topo maps. If you live on a hill then would need more complete Info.
Chuck

Google Earth will give you elevation for your location.

I would think that would be accurate enough.