Category: Technical notes

INSTRUMENT STATUS: Instruments all working as they should! We are doing a supersonde IOP tonight into tomorrow morning. It’s getting hot out so we will be periodically checking on the temps inside the trailer. Seems the AC is struggling to cool the box when it is all shut up. It does better as soon as the doors are opened suggesting the unit can’t get enough air flow across it to keep working when its hot. 

WEATHER INFO: Today was hot and mostly clear with some cumulus clouds moving through. Winds today are out of the east and north. Relatively dry today. Tomorrow will be very hot with some increase in winds out of the east. Dry air increases the fire risk. Wednesday-Friday have chances of thunderstorms and showers as the instability increases. Fire risk remains though. 

PREVIOUS DAY OPS:  CU-B flew from 19-01UTC last night. ND (LauraL.) did launches at 0,3,6,9 last night (these times are unclear in the summary from todays meeting so worth checking again). Last night was interesting with stable layer under a region of unstable air. May be cool to look at.

SITE PHOTOS: None today.

NEXT DAY OPS: CU-B flying for supersonde mission. Unsure if ARL is flying theirs. Launch schedule:
12:15 pm – nominal launch
03:15 pm – supersonde launch
06:15 pm – nominal launch
09:15 pm – supersonde launch
12:15 am – nominal launch
03:15 am – supersonde launch
06:15am – nominal launch

AUTHOR: Liz

INSTRUMENT STATUS: Instruments all working as they should! 

WEATHER INFO: A low pressure is to the SSW of Portugal rotating around a high pressure NNE over France/Spain. Today was warm and gusty with pretty dry air near the surface. Some virga was observed and this gustiness can be seen in the CLAMPS data. We also are under pretty hazy conditions today thought to be the result of African dust advection. Tomorrow will be less windy and has a slight chance for light precipitation. Winds will be light and variable tomorrow afternoon into the overnight. The direction is forecast to be NW in the afternoon but gain an easterly component overnight, however, light winds will result is poor direction forecasts by the ECMWF and allow local flows to dominate. Supersonde is thus tentatively planned for tomorrow night (Mon22 into Tues23).  Showers are possible May 24-May 26. 

PREVIOUS DAY OPS:  ARL TLS flew last night. CU Boulder tried to fly but struggled with persistent downdrafts (these were seen by our lidar also) so only flew for 1.5 hours. ND (LauraL.) completed a 24-hour Supersonde with 3-hourly launches from 21 May 9amLT – 9amLT 22 May.

SITE PHOTOS: None today.

NEXT DAY OPS: Possible TLS flights tonight. Supersonde tonight was scrubbed in favor of tomorrow night.

AUTHOR: Liz

INSTRUMENT STATUS: Instruments all working as they should! 

WEATHER INFO: Today was warm and lightly breezy with mostly clear skies and dry air.  Coming days look clear and have a general warming/drying trend. Nearing 35C late this week. Looking at Sunday night for potential supersonde IOP. Decision will be made tomorrow. 

PREVIOUS DAY OPS:  ARL TLS took morning profiles this morning and last night. CU Boulde TLS flew last night.

SITE PHOTOS: None today.

NEXT DAY OPS: TLS at Orange flying tonight. TLS plans to fly tomorrow also weather depending. Possible supersonde IOP.

AUTHOR: Liz

INSTRUMENT STATUS: Instruments all working as they should! 

WEATHER INFO: Today was warm and lightly breezy with mostly clear skies and dry air. A small wildfire occurred near Foz do Cobrao today between 9am and 2pm. Tomorrow will be a bit warmer and dry. Coming days look clear and have a general warming/drying trend. Looking at Sunday night for potential supersonde IOP

PREVIOUS DAY OPS:  ARL TLS took morning profiles this morning

SITE PHOTOS: None today.

NEXT DAY OPS: TLS at George and Orange flying tonight. TLS plans to fly tomorrow also. Tomorrow is the local party!

AUTHOR: Liz

The CLAMPS system observed some interesting wavy features overnight May 17-May 18. It was a gusty night in the valley!

INSTRUMENT STATUS: Instruments all working as they should! Pulled raw data from the lidar today. 

WEATHER INFO: Today was cooler and breezy with mostly clear skies. Tomorrow will be a bit warmer and windy still, but less windy than today. Coming days look clear and have a general warming/drying trend. Will start to look for potential Supersonde IOP day. 

PREVIOUS DAY OPS:  None.

SITE PHOTOS: None today.

NEXT DAY OPS: TLS at George tomorrow morning and possibly at George and Orange tomorrow night.

AUTHOR: Liz

INSTRUMENT STATUS: Instruments all working as they should! Dave started transferring hpl files to the Norman server.

WEATHER INFO: Today was hot with cumulus clouds. The cold front will come through a bit later than originally thought. Very light showers early in the morning, but no other precip today. Tomorrow will be cooler and a bit gusty. Coming days look clear and have a general warming/drying trend. Will start to look for potential Supersonde IOP day. 

PREVIOUS DAY OPS:  TLS flights at Orange and George last night. Morning transition flights also at George this morning. TLS now can fly until 11Z. There were observed wind turbine stoppages yesterday and today. Maintenance crews were observed on the turbine today. By afternoon it was spinning again.

SITE PHOTOS:

NEXT DAY OPS: TLS flights are not happening due to wind and frontal passage.

AUTHOR: Liz

INSTRUMENT STATUS: Instruments all working as they should! 

WEATHER INFO: Today was hot with occasional alto stratus clouds. A SBL is developing tonight again, but a weak front passes through Wednesday morning bringing some precip chances ahead of and with the front, but not behind it. Winds will pick up and temperatures will drop but quickly return as the weather clears behind the front. Thursday is forecast to be windy, and temperatures rise and moisture decreases over the coming days. Some small precipitation chances are in the forecast Sunday-Thursday. 

PREVIOUS DAY OPS:  Supersonde completed at 6:15am. Everything is now installed that will be installed for the project (except ARL lidars stuck in customs?). TLS has gotten permissions to fly later into the morning hours.

SITE PHOTOS: None today.

NEXT DAY OPS: TLS flights are a last minute decision depending on tonights weather.

AUTHOR: Liz

INSTRUMENT STATUS: Instruments all working as they should! 

WEATHER INFO: Today was warmer and mostly clear expect for some high level cirrus and occasional alto stratus clouds. The SBL is developing tonight and a supersonde IOP is taking place. The synoptically predicted wind direction overnight is NWerly, but winds will be weak and local flow will dominate.  Tuesday will be warmer with a high near 30C. A weak front passes through Wednesday bringing some precip chances ahead of and with the front, but not behind it. Winds will pick up and temperatures will drop but quickly return as the weather clears behind the front. 

PREVIOUS DAY OPS:  Supersonde! Both TLS are flying. Coordinating radiosonde launches with TLS ascents at the orange site. Lost the midnight sonde near 650mb.

SITE PHOTOS: None today. High level clouds. Nighttime sky is clear and full of stars.

NEXT DAY OPS: Resume normal operations after the supersonde.

AUTHOR: Liz

INSTRUMENT STATUS: Instruments all working as they should! The 41st tower is being set up by Steve, and that will be the final tower installed for the project. 

WEATHER INFO: Today was warmer and dominated by cumulus clouds. We expect a stable boundary layer to form tonight. Would have been a good supersonde night, but the CU TLS needed tonight for testing. Tomorrow will be warmer with a high near 28C and an overnight low of 14C. We expect another stable boundary layer to form Monday night into Tuesday, and have called a supersonde IOP. The synoptically predicted wind direction overnight is NWerly, but winds will be weak and local flow will dominate.  Tuesday will be warmer with a high near 30C. A weak front passes through Wednesday bringing some precip chances ahead of and with the front, but not behind it. Winds will pick up and temperatures will drop but quickly return as the weather clears behind the front. 

PREVIOUS DAY OPS:  None for us today. TLS flights at George and Orange (test) sites.

SITE PHOTOS: None today. Cumulus clouds and alto-cumulus

NEXT DAY OPS: Supersonde releases will start at 3pm tomorrow. Schedule for tomorrow into Tuesday:
06:15am launch – Nominal time
12:15pm launch – Nominal time
03:15pm launch – SUPERSONDE LAUNCH
06:15pm launch – Nominal time
09:15pm launch – SUPERSONDE LAUNCH
12:15am launch – Nominal time
03:15am launch – SUPERSONDE LAUNCH

AUTHOR: Liz