STEPS OPERATIONS JOURNAL

    Date: July 07 2000
    Operations Director: Jay Miller


WEATHER FORECAST:

    Forecasters: Randy Coleman (NWS) and Morris Weisman (NCAR/MMM)

Today:

There is a dry line/lee trough in eastern Colorado, west of Limon. Atmosphere is warm aloft at 750-500 mb, with light winds. At 750 mb, there is an intrusion of souteasterlies and dry air from the Oklahoma panhandle. Hot and dry conditions with little or no shear exist today in the STEPS domain. No chance of significant convection.

Days 2 and 3:

Hot and dry conditions along with minimal shear remains through the weekend. There is a very slight chance of high-based convection, especially on Saturday.

Components of the NSSL/OU electrical ballooning unit are departing late this afternoon and tomorrow (Saturday) morning, leaving only the CHILL-SPol radars and the LMA for any future coordinated operations.

Note: The 9am formal weather briefing and debriefing of the previous day's operations have been suspended. We will maintain a daily look at the weather, but no other briefings/debriefings will be conducted.

FORECAST MATRIX

VARIABLE Day 1: 1-4 pm Day 1: 4-9 pm Day 2 Day 3
Convective
Potential
11 11
Storm Type 11 11
Triggering 01 11
Intuition -10 10
Total 13 43


EQUIPMENT STATUS:

SYSTEM STATUS
Ops Center Operational.
CHILL Operational.
S-Pol Operational.
LMA Operational.
MGLASS Operational.
T-28 Engine failure, no longer available to the project.
Storm ballooning Operational; could fly 4 EFMs.
Mobile mesonet Recalled to Norman, no longer available to the project.
Storm chase van Operational as the primary precipitation verification vehicle, but no one is available to staff it.
YRFS Operational.
NWS Operational.


EXPECTED OPERATIONS FOR 0707:

Operations are down for today. Briefings at 9:00 am will no longer be needed.


DEBRIEFING OF OPERATIONS FOR 0707:

There were no operations and no clouds developed. There was a line of high-based convection along the lee trough west of Limon near Bennett CO.