NUCAPS Mixing Ratio Plan View

The NUCAPS 730 mb mixing ratio field proved useful when looking back at the storms that have already formed today. Storms formed on the border of the FWD and SJT forecast areas but seemed to die out quickly once entering the FWD area. A shot of mixing ratio heps show that mixing ratios were much better to the southwest. Travelling further southwest into the EWX area, mixing ratios approached 9 g/kg and just over the Mexican border there was the longest lived storm of the day that persisted for a long time. As a forecaster I find these fields more useful than the individual NUCAPS sounding. I could see using these fields with CAPE, lapse rates, RH Values, Dewpoints etc. Furthermore, having the ability to present these fields in a cross section format would be very useful to help validate some of the short term model data. At first I was not convinced at the utility of NUCAPS but these fields show much more promise to me as a forecaster. -Jason Bourne