WMOD00377

• Contract/Permit #: 14-06-D-5640
• Project Name: Park Range Atmospheric Water Resources Program
• Title: Park Range Atmospheric Water Resources Program - Phase II - Part A
• Date: 11/15/1966
• Weather Modification - Doc Type: Report

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Therefore, our primary te st for precipitation augmentation is between the in-
put and output of the experiment without asking in detail what the transfer
function is in between.

Besides these measurements, we desire knowledge of the more con-

ventional rneteorological parameters. These include surface winds and tem-

perature, vertical wind and temperature profiles, radar pictures of storms,

and snowcourse and stream gauge measurements for long term averages and

loss calculations.

The experimental area is centered on Stearnboat Springs, Colorado.
It has a relatively high annual precipitation, a mountain ridge--the Fark
Range -- to provide orographic effects, is relatively accessible and is an
important source of water--via the Yampa and Green Rivers- -to the Colo-
rado River. During the winter months, precipitation on the Park Range is
snow. The climatology of the valley is shown in Table I; climatological sta-
tion locations are shown in Figure 5. Storm trajectories are confined large-
ly to the NW - SW quadrant.

Our measurement network IS shown in Figure 6; it consists of 15

snow-rate stations, 5 meteorological stations, 1 diffusion test and artificial

nuclei generation station, 22 snowcourses, 1 radar and rawinsonde station,

1 nuclei count station, and 3 stream-gauging stations.

For diffusion and artificial nuclei generating work, we selected the

Emerald Mountain site because of its height (8300 feet), accessibility, and

alignment with the target area. Optical-type snow- rate sensor s are used

throughout the network for measurement of the prime variable; these sensors

are routinely serviced on an 8;.;day schedule and after every storm. The pre-

cipitation- rate records are recorded on conventional analog recorder s, man-

ually reduced and computer processed. Appendix C presents the program

Ii sting.

We have built our field operation around a small group of technical
personnel and hire locally whenever additional labor is required. The overall