Bufkit Distribution

January 19, 2001

Installation of Bufkit 3
Here is the full Bufkit 3 installation BUFKIT3.ZIP (3.3 MB). It includes all the files you need to display profiles. 1. Unzip the file into a temporary directory. 2. Run the program SETUP.EXE (Remember: don't install the program into the same directory that contains the temporary unzipped files.) 3. Delete the temporary files.

Upgrade a Previous Bufkit 3 version to Bufkit3 Release 15
1. Click on Bufkit's ABOUT button to determine your current release. If you have Release 14 or earlier you will have to upgrade if you want access to either the 84-hour eta forecast profiles or the 10-km eta forecast profiles (if and when these models' outputs are released). 2. Download BUFKIT3.EXE (0.9 MB). 3. Copy BUFKIT3.EXE into your BUFKIT3 directory. This will overwrite your previous version of BUFKIT3.EXE.

Upgrade a Previous Bufkit 3 version to Bufkit3 Release 15

1. Click on Bufkit's ABOUT button to determine your current release. If you have Release 14 or earlier you will have to upgrade if you want access to either the 84-hour eta forecast profiles or the 10-km eta forecast profiles (if and when these models' outputs are released).
2. Download BUFKIT3.EXE (0.9 MB).
3. Copy BUFKIT3.EXE into your BUFKIT3 directory. This will overwrite your previous version of BUFKIT3.EXE.

Release 10 adds a Snow Crystal Growth section to the profile and overview screen. When the temperature falls between -12C and -18C the profile is highlighted in blue. This range of temperature is optimal for dendritic snow growth...if you have the moisture. BUFKIT will search within this favored temperature layer for relative humidity over 75% and highlight this sum layer in yellow.

Upgrading Bufkit2K to Bufkit 3
You will have to make changes in one or two areas. The first is the display software, Bufkit3. 1. Install Bufkit3 as detailed in the block above. Be sure to install Bufkit 3 in a directory different than the Bufkit 2K directory. Also, check that the new version works using the default configuration with the included case study. Note that the etakit.buf profile is 60 hours long. 2. Copy all your Bufkit2K configuration files into the new Bufkit 3 directory. These configuration files are: Bufkit.cfg Bufkit.cty (optional) Bufkit.dat Bufkit.map Bufkit.rad (optional) If you generate BUFKIT profiles using the MODSND from NCEP: 3. Download getbufr3 into your MODSND directory or convert your existing get_bufr script into getbuf3 using the procedures detailed here. 4. Generate your Bufkit profiles using getbufr3 instead of get_bufr. (If you get a message that the profiles aready exist from a previous get_bufr run, just delete the two identified files.) NWS offices are encouraged to call me if they run into problems converting to Bufkit3. Good Luck! Ed Mahoney

Upgrading Bufkit2K to Bufkit 3

You will have to make changes in one or two areas. The first is the display software, Bufkit3.

1. Install Bufkit3 as detailed in the block above. Be sure to install Bufkit 3 in a directory different than the Bufkit 2K directory. Also, check that the new version works using the default configuration with the included case study. Note that the etakit.buf profile is 60 hours long.

2. Copy all your Bufkit2K configuration files into the new Bufkit 3 directory. These configuration files are:

Bufkit.cfg
Bufkit.cty (optional)
Bufkit.dat
Bufkit.map
Bufkit.rad (optional)

If you generate BUFKIT profiles using the MODSND from NCEP:

3. Download getbufr3 into your MODSND directory or convert your existing get_bufr script into getbuf3 using the procedures detailed here.

4. Generate your Bufkit profiles using getbufr3 instead of get_bufr. (If you get a message that the profiles aready exist from a previous get_bufr run, just delete the two identified files.)

NWS offices are encouraged to call me if they run into problems converting to Bufkit3.

Good Luck!

Ed Mahoney

Support Files
1. MAPMAKER.ZIP will allow you to build your own BUFKIT background maps. 2. BUFSHARP allows you to send any hour's profile into SHARP.

Bufkit 3 uses a different data format than previous version of Bufkit (such at Bufkit 2K).
The Bufkit 3 release 3 adds a "Legacy Mode" that can read the old Bufkit 2K profiles. This Legacy Mode has two known limitations:

Cloud Fraction Not Available
Thickness Calculations Not Available

Click here for information on how to modify the get_bufr script to generate Bufkit 3 profiles.