Abstract: Described are a method and a system for detecting an atmospheric feature. A value of a meteorological scalar field at an initial time is determined for a set of tracers. Each tracer is initialized at a first tracer location. An integration time is selected according to a coherence time of a type of the feature to be detected. Alternatively, or in combination with the selected integration time, a spatial resolution of the wind field is selected according to a spatial scale of the type of feature to be detected. Each tracer is advected to a second tracer location at an earlier time according to the integration time and the wind field. A value of the meteorological scalar field at the earlier time and second tracer location is determined for each tracer and summed with the value at the first location to generate an integrated value of the meteorological scalar field.

Abstract: Described are a method and a system for generating a short-term forecast of echo tops as defined by weather radar measurements. The method includes receiving echo tops images for different times. An echo tops growth rate and an echo tops maximum value are determined for pixels in one of the images and used to generate echo tops prediction values for an echo tops prediction image. For pixels in regions of the image determined to be subject to convective initiation but where convective weather does not exist, an echo tops initiation height and the echo tops maximum value are determined and used with a predicted precipitation value to generate an echo tops prediction value for each pixel.