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<br />Total episode duration, which varied from a low of three <br />hours to a high of 80 hours, averaged 33 hours with a median <br />of 26 hours (or slightly more than one day). SLW was observed <br />for as few as three hours to as many as 61 hours during these <br />episodes and averaged 23 hours (median about 20 hours or nearly <br />one day). As a percent of the episode hours, on the average, <br />SLW was observed 70 percent of the time and the median was <br />even higher (about 80 percent). This indicates that in most <br />of the storms some SLW is likely to be present most of the <br />time. <br /> <br />In 12 of the episodes, SLW first appeared as a major <br />synoptic feature (usually a front but sometimes an upper trough <br />or low) was approaching Arizona from the west or northwest. <br />The maximum upwind distance was 360 nautical miles while both <br />the median and average distances were close to 200 nautical <br />miles. Exceptions were that in one episode the surface front <br />was essentially overhead before the SLW was observed and in <br />another episode which involved a synoptic feature SLW appeared <br />when an upper low (which had formed east of the area and moved <br />westward) got to within about 60-90 miles of Happy Jack. <br />However, the usual pattern was for SLW to appear while an <br />identifiable synoptic feature was still many miles upwind, <br />which would afford several hours of potential seeding time <br />if SLW was present. <br /> <br />The trend of the SLW, in most of the episodes, followed <br />an interesting and to a degree predictable pattern, It usually <br />began with light hourly amounts or with an occasional moderate <br />hourly value mixed in for a few hours, increasing to moderate <br />and sometimes strong hourly values as the main synoptic feature <br />approached the area. After passage of the synoptic feature, <br /> <br />3-17 <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />