πŸš€ Getting Started

SounderPy is designed to make atmospheric vertical-profile retrieval, analysis, and visualization straightforward.

You can install SounderPy and create your first sounding in only a few minutes with only a few lines of code, in Python or on the command line!

Step 1: Install SounderPy

The easiest way to install SounderPy is with pip:

pip install sounderpy

SounderPy is also available from conda-forge:

conda install conda-forge::sounderpy

or:

mamba install conda-forge::sounderpy

You may also install a specific release version of SounderPy from GitHub:

pip install "git+https://github.com/kylejgillett/sounderpy.git@v3.2.0"

or you may install the development version of SounderPy from Github:

pip install "git+https://github.com/kylejgillett/sounderpy.git@main"

Note

  • Installing directly from GitHub requires git to be installed and available on your system.

  • The main branch may contain changes that have not yet been included in an official SounderPy release. For reproducible installations, use a tagged release such as v3.2.0.

Step 2: Import SounderPy

A common convention is to import SounderPy as spy:

import sounderpy as spy

Step 3: Create Your First Sounding

Retrieve an observed sounding from Omaha, Nebraska (OAX) from 16 June 2014 at 18 UTC:

import sounderpy as spy

data = spy.get_obs_data(
    "OAX",
    "2014", "06", "16", "18",
    hush=True,
)

Then create a SounderPy sounding:

spy.build_sounding(data)

That’s it!

SounderPy retrieves the profile, converts it into its standard clean_data structure, calculates the atmospheric parameters needed by the plot, and creates the sounding.

Step 4: Examining the Data

The object returned by SounderPy is a clean_data dictionary containing the vertical profile and associated metadata.

Common fields include:

p          pressure
z          height
T          temperature
Td         dewpoint
u          u-component wind
v          v-component wind
site_info  profile metadata

Because supported data sources are converted into this same structure, the same plotting and analysis functions can be used with observations, forecasts, reanalyses, and supported model output.

Step 5: Where to Go Next

Choose the path that best matches what you want to do:

πŸ‘¨β€πŸ³ Tutorials

Learn SounderPy through complete, step-by-step workflows.

Open the tutorials

🌎 Get Data

Learn how to retrieve RAOB, ACARS, RAP/RUC, BUFKIT, ERA5, and other supported profiles.

Explore data sources

πŸ“Š Plot Gallery

See examples of SounderPy soundings, hodographs, composites, parcels, radar, and plotting options.

Browse the gallery

πŸ’» Command Line

Retrieve, plot, and export profiles directly from a terminal.

Use the CLI

πŸ“š Reference

Find detailed plotting, calculation, and helper-function documentation.

Open the plotting reference

A Complete First Example

Putting everything together:

import sounderpy as spy

data = spy.get_obs_data("OAX", "2014", "06", "16", "18", hush=True)

spy.build_sounding(data, radar=None, map_zoom=0)

Ready for More?

The SounderPy Tutorials are the best next step.