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<br />Climax group. The other sensors in the Climax group <br />are snowboards. <br /> <br />4. Pertinent Res'.llts from the Climax and Wolf <br />Creek Pass Investigation <br />A preliminary analysis of the CEmax <br />" experimental data from 1960-65 was reported by <br />Grant and Mielke (1967). The original sample of <br />283 events indicated the average precipitation on <br />seeded days was 54% greater than on corresponding <br />" non-seeded days for 500 mb temperatures of -20C <br />and warmer. The average precipitation on seeded <br />days was 12% more for 500 mb temperatures from <br />-21C through -23C, but was 15% less when 500 mb <br />temperatures ranged from -24C to -39C. <br /> <br />Chappell (1967) in a further analysis <br />of the 1960-65 Climax data found that when only those <br />events having 500 mb wind directions between 210 <br />degrees and 360 degrees inclusive were included (as <br />originally defined for the experiment), the precipita- <br />tion on seeded days was estimated to exceed by 100% <br />the non-seeded precipitation for 500 mb temperatures <br />of -20C and warmer. <br /> <br />Further analysis of the 1960-65 Climax <br />data is now completed and results from two other in <br />independent sample.s (Climax II and Wolf Creek 1) are <br />available for comparison. The Climax I and Climax <br />, Climax II results are presented for identical meteoro- <br />logical stratifications. The stratific a tions used in <br />presenting the Wolf Creek I results are quite similar <br />but not necessarily identical to the Climax categories. <br />This results from partitioning the Wolf Creek data <br />independently. <br /> <br />The stratifications presented in the <br />results are for meteorological variables which the <br />model presented indicates are relevant for delineat- <br />ing modification potential. These parameters relate <br />to vertical motion through orographic influences, <br />stability and baroclinicity. Other variables measure <br />the available moisture and the potential condenE:ate in <br />the air mass approaching the mountain barrier. The <br />influence of the natural supply of effective ice nuclei <br />is investigated through the 500 mb temperatures (near <br />cloud top). Since the average number of ice nudei <br />activated increases by a factor of about ten for every <br />4C decrease in temperature, the coldest region <br />where condensation is occurring (near cloud top) <br />produces about 9/10 of the total ice crystals in the <br />cloud system. <br /> <br />a. Cloud top temperatures (500 mb) <br />The distribution of seeding effects with <br />500 mb temperatures is shown in Table I. The trend <br />of the seeding cffcct with temperature is striking and <br />duplicated by all three independent samples. Several <br />of the :statistical tests for the warmest and coldest <br />categories are significant at less than 5% level of con- <br />fidence and a few at the 1% level. Even the relatively <br />small Climax II sample shows such values of significance <br /> <br />The results indicate that snowfall has <br />been decreased near the mountain summit when seed- <br />ing the very cold cloud systems. This result is to be <br />expected from the model. Figure 3 indicates that <br />when 500 mb temperatures are -28C and colder, <br /> <br />there is present naturally 100 or more excess ice <br />nuclei for the conditions estimated to be representa- <br />tive of the Climax and Wolf Creek Pass areas. <br />Additional ice nuclei are not needed to maximize the <br />pr,ecipitation process and would serve only to reduce <br />the size of the growing crystals. Seeding these very <br />cold cloud systems may be reducing the precipitation <br />efficiency as the ice to water ratio in' the, cloud <br />becomes too large. Part of the obS2 rved decrease <br />may be due to the smaller crystals being carried <br />more easily over the mountain summit, and in a few <br />extremely cold cases the precipitation process may <br />be halted by complete icing of the cloud system. <br /> <br />Snowfall increases are estimated to be <br />from near 100% to over 200% by the various statistical <br />methods when seeding the warmest 500 mb tempera- <br />tures. This is consistent with the model which <br />indicated natural ice nuclei was deficient at all 500 mb <br />temperatures above '-21C for estimated Climax and <br />Wolf Creek Pass conditions. <br /> <br />It is interesting that the results in the <br />intermediate 500 mb temperature category agree <br />well with the model. The Climax samples show near <br />zero change or slight decreases in snowfall whe~ <br />seeding events having 500 mb temperatures from <br />-21C through -25C. The model indicates optimum <br />ice nuclei concentrations are present in the Climax <br />area at 500 mb temperatures from -21C to -23C. <br />The snowfall increases observed at Wolf Creek <br />Summit when seeding 500 mb temperature from -20C <br />through -23C are also projected by the model since <br />optimum ice nuclei concentrations appear at 500 mb <br />temperatures from -23C to -25C for Wolf Creek Pass <br />conditions. <br /> <br />The stronger orographic effect at <br />Wolf Crcck Pass extends the range of modification <br />potential into colder cloud top temperatures. This <br />is quite important since it is in this intermediate <br />temperature range (-21C to -25C) that snowfall in the <br />Colorado Rockies has its greatest frequency. <br /> <br />b. Moisture supply <br />The distribution of seeding effects <br />with respect to parameters that measure various <br />aspects of the moisture supplied to the mountain <br />barrier are shown in Table II and Table III. The <br />va.i:.iation of seeding effects with the 700 mb mixing <br />ratio is depicted in Table II. The moisture para- <br />meter shown in Table III is computed by lifting a <br />700 mb parcel to 500 mb by adiabatic and pseudo- <br />adiabatic processes (above condensation level) and <br />dividing the resultant condensate by the thickness of <br />the saturated layer below 500 mbs. <br /> <br />Once again the agreement between the <br />three independent samples is excellent. All show <br />decre ases in snowfall when the drier cases are <br />seeded. Substantial snowfall increases are observed <br />in all samples when seeding the most moist events. <br />The intermediate stratifications indicate near zero <br />change or slight increases for all samples. The <br />snowfall decreases observed vi'hen seeding the lowest <br />700 mb mixing ratio category are seen to be signifi- <br />cant at the 50/0 level for most tests in the Climax I <br /> <br />15 <br />