Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Gap-Filling Mobile Radar Observations of a Snow Squall in the San Luis Valley

Andrew A. Rosenow Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, University of Oklahoma, and NOAA/OAR/National Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman, Oklahoma

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Kenneth Howard NOAA/OAR/National Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman, Oklahoma

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José Meitín Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, University of Oklahoma, and
NOAA/OAR/National Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman, Oklahoma

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Print Publication:
01 Aug 2018
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-17-0323.1
Page(s):
2469–2481
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Abstract

On 24 January 2017, a convective snow squall developed in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. This squall produced rapidly varying winds at San Luis Valley airport in Alamosa, Colorado, with gusts up to 12 m s−1, and an associated visibility drop to 1.4 km from unlimited in less than 10 min. This snow squall was largely undetected by the operational WSR-88D network because of the Sangre de Cristo Range of the Rocky Mountains lying between the valley and the nearest WSR-88D in Pueblo, Colorado. This study presents observations of the snow squall from the X-band NOAA X-Pol radar, which was deployed in the San Luis Valley during the event. These observations document the squall developing from individual convective cells and growing upscale into a linear squall, with peak radial velocities of 15 m s−1. The environment conducive to the development of this snow squall is examined using data from the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh model, which shows an environment unstable to ascending surface-based parcels, with surface-based convective available potential energy (SBCAPE) values up to 600 J kg−1 in the San Luis Valley. The mobile radar data are integrated into the Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) mosaic to illustrate both the large improvement in detectability of this event gained from a gap-filling radar as well as the capability of MRMS to incorporate data from new radars designed to fill gaps in the current radar network.

© 2018 American Meteorological Society. For information regarding reuse of this content and general copyright information, consult the AMS Copyright Policy (www.ametsoc.org/PUBSReuseLicenses).

Corresponding author: Andrew A. Rosenow, andrew.rosenow@noaa.gov

Abstract

On 24 January 2017, a convective snow squall developed in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. This squall produced rapidly varying winds at San Luis Valley airport in Alamosa, Colorado, with gusts up to 12 m s−1, and an associated visibility drop to 1.4 km from unlimited in less than 10 min. This snow squall was largely undetected by the operational WSR-88D network because of the Sangre de Cristo Range of the Rocky Mountains lying between the valley and the nearest WSR-88D in Pueblo, Colorado. This study presents observations of the snow squall from the X-band NOAA X-Pol radar, which was deployed in the San Luis Valley during the event. These observations document the squall developing from individual convective cells and growing upscale into a linear squall, with peak radial velocities of 15 m s−1. The environment conducive to the development of this snow squall is examined using data from the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh model, which shows an environment unstable to ascending surface-based parcels, with surface-based convective available potential energy (SBCAPE) values up to 600 J kg−1 in the San Luis Valley. The mobile radar data are integrated into the Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) mosaic to illustrate both the large improvement in detectability of this event gained from a gap-filling radar as well as the capability of MRMS to incorporate data from new radars designed to fill gaps in the current radar network.

© 2018 American Meteorological Society. For information regarding reuse of this content and general copyright information, consult the AMS Copyright Policy (www.ametsoc.org/PUBSReuseLicenses).

Corresponding author: Andrew A. Rosenow, andrew.rosenow@noaa.gov
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