Generate soundings from MAPS or RUC Analyses and Forecasts, RAOBS, Profilers, Radiometers, or Aircraft (restricted)

This is the header you get when you get to the web page (via link above) http://rucsoundings.noaa.gov/
You now get a table with click boxes. ('RAOB' = (RAwinsonde OBservation). This example below is from an excellent day Thursday, 9th August 2007

Some can be left alone, but some of those starred will probably need to be altered. RAOB is the usual selection.
Start time can be latest or a particular time for archive study.
The example is for Year 2007, month August, date 8th, time 23:00 UTC, ie the final sounding before the start of 9th August.
Number of hours can be left at 3.0 (number is in connection with animated soundings but not available for UK stations) but this covers the uncertainty exactly when the balloon is sent up.
Site is selected from list below but note is is IMPORTANT to include the leading zero.
IN PRACTICE you will probably want to make a forecast for the coming day. Use the midnight sounding (probably in practice 2300 from day before).
Use up to date forecast maximum temperatures, expected dewpoint (likely similar to dewpoint at 0700 hours) and sea level pressure.

This is a Skew-T and you can work out a great deal simply by looking at this graph.

But there is much more.

By positioning the mouse, left clicking and dragging, you can zoom in on the main area of interest

Right click. This box appears.

If necessary, click or fill in the boxes. It is easy to forget to click Celsius.
In this box, Td means dewpoint, T means (dry) temperature.
Archive temperatures, dewpoints and pressure best found from this website

Alternatively, you can move the mouse pointer to an appropriate place, usually ground level and a surface temperature, and left click. (playing with high level instability is instructive).
But this method does not allow change in surface dewpoint .

You can try various surface temperatures to see what happens, eg determine the trigger temperature, or the temperature to give cloud base of 3,000 feet. Experiment.

This the result. The solid horizontal black line is cloud base for the Tdry and Tdew that had been used.
Small shallow cumulus should occur at around 4,600'

Tdry/Tdew split * 400 gives similar answer but the Bradbury Rule does not work for blue thermals so this SkewT is useful in that it shows that small cu are likely to form and that thermals are not blue.

You can alter the temperature, work out trigger, cloud tops, etc.

It is a superb program. You can try various "what ifs". Experiment and have fun.
There are many other features that have not been covered. This explanation is just to get you started.
Help and instructions available on the website itself.

British Isles stations
Those in bold normally report midnight and midday UTC.
Others are occasional although Larkhill (for the Salisbury Plain gunnery) usually sends up a balloon at 0600 GMT Monday to Friday.

Name	WMO	Lat / Long	other code	Name	WMO	Lat / Long	other code
LERWICK	03005	60°N 01°W	9999	MUCKLE FLUGGA	03001	61°N 01°W	9999
STORNOWAY	03026	58°N 07°W	EGPO	KINLOSS	03066	58°N 04°W	EGQK
NOTTINGHAM	03354	53°N 01°W	9999	WEST FREUGH	03130	55°N 05°W	EGOY
LARKHILL	03743	51°N 02°W	9999	ESKMEALS	03213	55°N 04°W	9999
CAMBORNE	03808	50°N 06°W	9999	ALBERMARLE	03238	56°N 02°W	9999
H'MONCEUX	03882	51°N 01°W	9999	LEEMING	03257	54°N 02°W	EGXE
CASTOR BAY	03918	54°N 06°W	9999	WADDINGTON	03377	53°N 01°W	EGXW
VALENTIA	03953	52°N 10°W	9999	SHAWBURY	03414	53°N 03°W	EGOS
ABERPORTH	03502	52°N 05°W	EGUC	BRIZE NORTON	03649	52°N 02°W	EGVN
WATTISHAM	03590	52°N 01°E	EGUW	SHOEBURYNESS	03693	56°N 01°E	9999