[Introduction -- What is Bufkit?]

Weather Software developed by the NWS. It features a Skew-T and and overview mode with a variety of customizations. The GFS and NAM Bufkit profiles update 4 times a day (0, 6, 12 & 18z) with a 1-2 hour lag behind the newest model runs. This tutorial will not teach you the basics of meteorology. It assumes that you can a) read thermodynamic diagrams as Bufkit provides us with a a great Skew-T, b) understand basic weather forecasting terms such as CAPE, Lifted Index, LCL, LFC, Omega, etc. I will show you how to install Bufkit and retrieve GFS, NAM and RUC profiles for your particular region.

[1] Installing Bufkit

[a] Go to the NWS site here:

http://wdtb.noaa.gov/tools/BUFKIT/index.html

[b] download and install Bufkit. Either version should work. I am using the first one,  DLAC  in this tutorial but the other one, AWWT actually comes with the Bufget utility.

[c] Once Bufkit is installed go into your program files and open it. After installation if Bufkit asks what program you would like to open it with this means you need to install  tcl/tk software onto your system. I had to do this on one system. It is a large file if I remember correctly.

http://www.tcl.tk/

Once Bufkit opens you should see something like this:

[2] Retrieving Profiles

Now is the part where many weather enthusiasts stop. They open Bufkit but have no idea how to obtain current profiles for their region. I will show you how to obtain and use recent profiles. As of right now this guide does not explain how to use Bufget, which is as simple as pasting profile links, because I do not find it necessary though it is much more convenient.

[a] Find sites with Bufkit Profiles

http://www.wbuf.noaa.gov/bufkit/prof.html

http://www.meteo.psu.edu/bufkit/

http://weather.hopto.org/bufkit/ 

[b] Right Click on the link (NWS, Hopto) or Map Location CIrcle (PSU) and download or Save the linked file to your computer.

• –Left Clicking it will open it as text in your browser.
• –Save it anywhere you like but I recommend the Bufkit Data folder (see below).
• –PSU site is recommended as its a map and tells you what it new in the left frame.
• –The PSU site does not work on all wifi networks due to security issues, however.
• –If Windows tries to make it a text file make sure it is saved as a .buf or .bufm file.
• –Bufkit will crash when trying to open a text file. 

As an FYI, the off hour (6 and 18z) profiles will probably be .bufm files as opposed to .buf files.

[3] Using Bufkit

We have Bufkit installed and downloaded new profiles for our region so let’s use it.

[a1] To open your profile click on the model you want on the left(NAM, GFS or RUC) and then click the drop down box towards the right and select your station.  This only works if the profiles are installed in your / Bufkit / Data / folder.

[a2] Alternative method is to click the “Select” button to the right of drop down box. This will change the contents of the big box left of your skew-T diagram. In there click the “Archive Button”. This opens up a windows dialogue box. By default it will be in /Programs/Bufkit/Data/Archive folder. Navigate to Data folder or wherever you keep your profiles and select one.

See the picture below if you are having difficulties with any of these steps:

Now that your profile is open you can do a number of things:

• [1] Use the scroll bar to scroll through different times on the skew-T diagram.
• [2] Click the Indices button near the top to see Cape, Lifted Index, Helicity etc.
• [3] Click Control or Convenction button near the bottom to plot different items.
• [4] Left Clicking on the Skew T zooms in. Right clickinging zooms out.
• [5] Spend some time looking at all the different control boxes, buttons and settings.
• [6] Lake Effect and Conrad require additional software installations to function.

My Favorite Feature: Overview Mode

• [0] The time goes from right to left in overview mode!
• [1] Click on the button on the top right of Bufkit called “Overview”
• [2] It will look messy when opened because Relative Humidy is selected.
• [3] Deselect the relative humidity tab on top left to remove it.
• [4] This plots out the model forecast for several days.
• [5] There are 8 panels allowing for material to be plotted
• [6] For practice click Temperature in the Contour Tab. T will be plotted.
• [7] You can plot whatever you want. You can even change the contour interval.
• [8] The bottom left changes the hours the overview displays.
• [9] The bottom right can be used to toggle between km and mb for height.
• [10] Right or left clicking the scales (on sides on y axis) zooms in and out.
• [11] Refer to the picture below for help with these overview features.

[4 Forecasting tips and Tricks with Bufkit] 

Bufkit’s forecasting usefulness is obvious. We are given the potential for animated Skew-T diagrams for the entire nation. I’ve only been able to find them for the Eastern US at PSU. Bufkit plots things such as CAPE, Lifted Index, Helicity, Hail Data, omega, etc.

What I do when I open Bufkit depends on the time of the year. Am I looking at a wintry system and am concerned with snow ratios or am I forecasting Spring and Summer thunderstorms? In the latter case I am looking at the SkewT more and CAPE, LI, SSI and Helicity values and so on while in the former case I use the overview mode more frequently.