Probably the greatest use of your device is for figuring out the lapse
rate rather than cloud height. Get the cloud height and surface
temperature from METAR, use your device to get the cloud temperature and
calculate the lapse rate. A lapse rate higher than 2C/1000' will
indicate an unstable atmosphere and bumpy flight conditions. Unlike the
temperatures from the winds aloft forecast, yours will be actual
temperature, not forecasted, and will be more accurate. Also, winds
aloft data forecast is not accurate for calculating stability near the
surface, as the temperature is omitted for the first 3000'.
Extrapolating between surface and 6000' may not accurately reflect the
instability close to the ground.




(Tim Hogard) wrote in news:cnv2tr$2n3d$1
@knotty.abnormal.com:

I picked up a cheap infarred themometer a few days ago and discovered
that it will happily tell me the temperature of the clouds if they
are low.

It seems to me that the temp gradiant from the ground is well known
and if its consistant, this device combined with a table could tell
me how low the coulds are.

For example right now there are clear skys and its reading -27*C.
METAR at hte local airport is claiming 230900Z 19011KT CAVOK 14/09
Q1027 so there should be a 41*C difference between ground and
whatever the thing is reading the temp of in a clear sky. Today
it was reading -8 with a cloud base of at least 5000 ft.

Any comments on this?

-tim
http://web.abnormal.com