Snapshot of Seeding Operations. Number of Flares (total) 2 August 1.0 2H, 0G Rio Grande de Loiza 13:07 2 August 0.6 0H, 0G Reconnaissance 16:10

Transcription

1 9..25 Monthly Report August 25 Project Puerto Rico Cloud Seeding Program Project Manager Gary L. Walker 9 missions this month 8:48 flight time this month 6 this month this month Snapshot of Seeding Operations Date Flight Time (hours) Number of Flares (total) Watershed(s) Seeded Takeoff Time (GMT) 2 August. 2H, G 3:7 2 August.6 H, G Reconnaissance 6: 4 August.9 2H, G Upwind of 8:55 6 August.5 6H, G Rio de la Plata 8:5 6 August.5 7H, G 2:5 6 August.5 4H, G Rio de la Plata 22:57 8 August.4 H, G Reconnaissance :8 8 August 2. 9H, G Rio de la Plata 4:33 August. 3H, G 4:36 4 August. 3H, G :55 5 August 2. 5H, G Rio de la Plata 5:3 6 August.7 H, G Reconnaissance : 6 August.2 9H, G Rio de la Plata 3:45 2 August. 2H, G Rio de la Plata 5:52 22 August.8 5H, G Rio de la Plata 6:22 28 August.6 H, G 9:45 29 August.7 H, G Rio de la Plata :2 3 August.5 H, G Reconnaissance :42 3 August.7 2H, G TOTAL Rio de la Plata 8.8 Flight Hours 6H, G Flares 3: Seeding Operations & Atmospheric Research (SOAR) Tel Old Jacksboro Hwy Wichita Falls, TX glw@just-clouds.com

2 9..25 Monthly Report August 25 Pg.2 Weather Summary August: Dry air aloft prevented deep shower activity over the target. No seeding. 2 August: An upper tropospheric trough enhanced shower activity. Seeding operations targeted showers as they approached the Watershed. 3 August: Capping and dry air prevented shower activity over the target. No seeding. 4 August: Isolated showers produced by a tail cloud off of Vieques were seeded as they approached the Rio Grande de Loiza Watershed. 5 August: Widely scattered showers remained outside of the target area. No seeding. 6 August: A weak trough combined with weak capping allowed for heavy precipitation associated with tail clouds off of Culebra and Vieques. Convection was seeded in both the and Rio de la Plata Watersheds. 7 August: Convection remained over San Juan, to the north of the target area. No seeding. 8 August: A weak upper level low interacted with a surface disturbance to produce showers over the target. One reconnaissance flight and a successful seeding flight occurred in the Watershed. 9 August: Mostly sunny conditions over the target, with no opportunity for seeding. August: Widely scattered showers remained outside of the target. No seeding. August: Convection associated with a tropical wave was successfully seeded in the southern portion of the target area. 2 August: Dry air and large-scale descent prevented precipitation. No seeding. 3 August: Weak showers struggled to persist after crossing the eastern shore of Puerto Rico. No seeding 4 August: Moisture gradually increased ahead of a tropical wave. An isolated shower was seeded in the early morning at the east edge of the target area. 5 August: A tropical wave combined with an upper-level trough favored showers over the target area, including seeding in the southeastern portion of the target. 6 August: A very moist atmosphere paired with forcing from the tropical wave and enhanced instability from an upperlevel trough led to very favorable seeding conditions. Thunderstorms seeded produced 2 of rainfall near Caguas, and 2 3 of rainfall further southeast in the Watershed. 7 August: Dry air prevented showers over the target area. No seeding. 8 August: Clear skies did not permit seeding 9 August: Clear skies did not permit seeding 2 August: Showers remained west of the target area. No seeding. 2 August: Heavy showers developed in an environment of over 23 J/kg of CAPE despite dry air above Kft. Clouds were seeded in the Rio de la Plata Watershed in the early afternoon. 22 August: Daytime heating destabilized the higher terrain of central and western Puerto Rico. Heavy showers were seeded in the Rio de la Plata Watershed in the afternoon. 23 August: Heavy showers remained north of the target area. No seeding. 24 August: Isolated short-lived showers remained mostly outside of the target area. No seeding. 25 August: The remnants of Tropical Cyclone Danny passed to the south of Puerto Rico. Low ceilings prevented safe landing at the Ponce airport. No seeding. 26 August: Large scale descent behind Danny prevented shower activity. No seeding. 27 August: Seeding operations not allowed due to Tropical Storm Erika. 28 August: A tail cloud off the Virgin Islands intersected with the target area. A shower was seeded near Caguas. 29 August: A shower crossing the Rio de la Plata watershed was seeded early in the morning. 3 August: A tropical wave passed over Puerto Rico causing widespread showers in the morning. Showers were seeded in the Rio de la Plata and Watersheds. 3 August: Dry air behind a tropical wave prevented persistent seedable showers. No seeding.

3 9..25 Monthly Report August 25 Pg.3 2 August 2 missions 2 August One Seeding Operation and One Reconnaissance Flight Seeding started at 335 Z and ended at 337 Z. The observed cloud base was at 4 feet, and seeding occurred at 55 feet. A total of 2 and were used. In the hour, the shower produced up to 8 mm of rainfall in the Watershed. :36 flight time 2 the northeast corner of the Rio Grande de Loiza Watershed. -hour radar

4 9..25 Monthly Report August 25 Pg.4 4 August mission 4 August One Seeding Operation Seeding started at 924 Z and ended at 925 Z. Observed cloud bases were at 45 feet and seeding occurred at 46 feet. A total of 2 and were used. Following seeding the cell dissipated after leaving an area of orographic enhancement before entering the target area. No further flares were used. :54 flight time 2 Seeded shower southeast of the Rio Grande de Loiza Watershed. -hour radar

5 9..25 Monthly Report August 25 Pg.5 6 August 3 missions 3:3 flight time 7 6 August Three Seeding Missions Widespread convection in association with a tropical wave allowed for three seeding missions in the and Rio de la Plata Watersheds. Mission Seeding in the first mission started at 9 Z and ended at 944 Z, targeting a cell near Caguas. Six were burned above cloud base, since cloud base was too close to the ground. The cloud continued to grow and produce rainfall over the Rio Grande de Loiza watershed. Mission 2 Seeding started at 28 Z and ended at 242 Z. During this time period, reflectivity in the cell increased to over 5 dbz. Seven were burned above cloud base in the Rio de la Plata Watershed. Over 3 mm of radar occurred within one hour of seeding. Mission 3 Seeding in the third mission started at 237 Z and ended at 235 Z. Four were burned in a cell in the Rio de la Plata Watershed. The cell produced up to mm of radar in the hour. 24-Hour radar through :59 AST 6 August. Radar estimates of over 4 mm fell in the vicinity of seeded clouds.

6 9..25 Monthly Report August 25 Pg.6 8 August 2 missions 8 August One Seeding Operation and One Reconnaissance Flight Seeding started at 45 Z and ended at 62 Z. Observed cloud bases were at 35 feet and seeding occurred at 55 feet. A total of 9 were used. Deep convective clouds near the southern edge of the Watershed exhibited good seedability and produced over 3 mm of radar over the target area. 2:3 flight time 9 Seeded shower on the south side of the Watershed. Radar estimated rainfall through 72 Z ( hour following seeding operations).

7 9..25 Monthly Report August 25 Pg.7 August mission August One Seeding Operation Seeding started at 58 Z and ended at 524 Z. Observed cloud bases were at 4 feet and seeding occurred at 55 feet. A total of 3 were used on a cell that progressed west-northwest across the target area. The cell passed over the radar in Cayey, so radar estimated precipitation totals of up to 8 mm are likely underestimated. : flight time 3 the Rio Grande de Loiza Watershed. -hour radar

8 9..25 Monthly Report August 25 Pg.8 4 August mission 4 August One Seeding Operation Seeding started at 25 Z and ended at 4 Z. Observed cloud bases were at 4 feet and seeding occurred at 55 feet. A total of 3 were used on a shower that was passing into the northeast corner of the target area near Naguabo. The shower produced up to mm of rain in the hour. : flight time 3 the Rio Grande de Loiza Watershed. -hour radar

9 9..25 Monthly Report August 25 Pg.9 5 August mission 5 August One Seeding Operation Seeding started at 955 Z and ended at 235 Z. Observed cloud bases were at 4 feet and seeding occurred at 55 feet. A total of 5 were used on showers passing through the southern third of the target area, which produced up to 3 mm of radarestimated rainfall. 2:6 flight time 5 the Rio Grande de Loiza and Rio de la Plata Watersheds. Daily total precipitation through hour following seeding

10 9..25 Monthly Report August 25 Pg. 6 August 2 missions :54 flight time 6 August One Seeding Operation and One Reconnaissance Flight Seeding started at 758 Z and ended at 828 Z. Observed cloud bases were at 4 feet and seeding occurred at 55 feet. A total of 5 were used on heavy showers and thunderstorms near the northern edge of the target, and southwest of El Yunque. The northern clouds produced over 3 mm of rainfall over the target, and the southern cells produced over 4 mm of rainfall over the target. 9 Seeded showers and thunderstorms in the Watershed. Daily total precipitation through hour following seeding

11 9..25 Monthly Report August 25 Pg. 2 August mission 2 August One Seeding Operation Seeding started at 642 Z and ended at 644 Z. Observed cloud bases were at 4 feet and seeding occurred at 55 feet. A total of 2 were used to seed the edge of a shower over the Rio de la Plata Watershed. Following seeding, new showers developed in the area that produced 3 mm of radar over the next hour. : flight time 2 the Rio de la Plata Watershed. -hour radar

12 9..25 Monthly Report August 25 Pg.2 22 August mission 22 August One Seeding Mission Seeding started at 63 Z and ended at 7 Z. Observed cloud bases were at 4 feet and seeding occurred at 55 feet. A total of 5 were used to seed heavy showers over the southern Rio de la Plata Watershed. Following seeding the showers produced 3 mm of radar over the next hour. :48 flight time 5 the Rio de la Plata Watershed. -hour radar

13 9..25 Monthly Report August 25 Pg.3 28 August mission :36 flight time 28 August One Seeding Mission One hygroscopic flare was burned starting at 28 Z. Observed cloud bases were at 4 feet and seeding occurred at 55 feet. The shower seeded was part of a tail cloud off of the Virgin Islands that curved to intersect Puerto Rico due to the wind field around Tropical Storm Erika. The shower s reflectivity increased briefly but it only produced 2-4 mm of rainfall in the hour in the Watershed. It appears that seeding occurred at a time when large scale subsidence was building in at the edge of Tropical Storm Erika s cloud field. hygroscopic flare the Rio Grande de Loiza Watershed -hour radar

14 9..25 Monthly Report August 25 Pg.4 29 August mission 29 August One Seeding Mission One hygroscopic flare was burned starting at 7 Z. Observed cloud bases were at 3 feet and seeding occurred at 54 feet. The shower produced 2 4 mm of rainfall following seeding before dissipating due to dry air over the interior of the island. :42 flight time hygroscopic flare the Rio de la Plata Watershed. -hour radar

15 9..25 Monthly Report August 25 Pg.5 3 August 2 missions :2 flight time 3 August One Reconnaissance Flight and One Seeding Mission Seeding started at 35 Z and ended at 358 Z. Observed cloud bases were at 4 feet and seeding occurred at 46 feet. A total of 2 were used to seed showers over the Rio de la Plata and Watersheds. Due to dry air aloft, these showers dissipated shortly. Radar- following seeding was between 4 and 6 mm 2 the Rio de la Plata Watershed.. -hour radar

16 9..25 Monthly Report August 25 Pg.6 Flare locations for all operations occurring during the month of August 25.