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CONTKACTOR: Colorado tate University, Fort Collins, Colorado CONTRACT NO. 6-07-DR-2 020 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Thomas Vonder Haar and David Reynolds CONTRACT PERIOD: July 20, 1975, to September 30, 1978 FY79 FUNDING: $10,327 PURPOSE: Co 11 ect and Work under this contra No funds were allocate "Satell ite Studies Dur Project," was submitte , nalyze satellite data in support of the SCPP I . t was completed during fiscal year 1978 as:requlred. during fiscal year 1979. However, the final report, ng the 1976-77, 1977-78 Sierra Cooperative Pilot . to Water and Power in February 1979. The scientific objecti es of the contract were: · To determine whet er data collected from a geostationary satellite may be used to measure loud-top temperatures over the Sierra Nevada and the SCPP study area. . To demonstrate th cloud banks within storm. ability of the satellite data to observe ~onvective torm systems and to quantify band occurrence by · Delineate a storm sequence by cloud type and temperature using available surface and upper a r weather data and recommend, from satellite observations, optim m periods of cloud seedability. University personnel a winter seasons. Resul temperatures occur 1 t bands. Following fron remains over the Sierr well within the accept alyzed five storms during the 1976-77 and 1977-78 s show that the highest precipitation and lowest cloud 2 hours ahead of surface cold fronts within frontal al passage, an unstable convective orographic cloud Nevada for up to 8 hours with cloud-top temperatures ble seeding range. : , Area features, including banded and cellular convection and cloud :streets, were observed with the satellite. These structures were associat~d with surface precipitation. Large convective lines and cells tracked ~rom the Pacific Ocean and over the Sierra barrier were found to move with :the winds. The cells tended to intensify in the Central Valley and produced maximum precip.itation before they reached the Sierra coast. The trajecto~ies of large cells often curve to the left as they encountered the foothills and became nearly parallel to the mountains. Precipitation is greatest on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada. : Precipita- tion on the east side appears to be dependent on the presence of high, cold cloud tops which carry precipitation particles over the barrier. ' Storms were class i fi ed into three types based on sate 11 ite-observe1d storm characteristics. Detailed descriptions of these systems which inolude comparison of satellite, radar, rain gage and aircraft data, are presented in the final report. 31