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<br />21 <br /> <br />no clouds, Le., convection was not present to help drive the solenoid. <br /> <br />The cloud tops usually 100ver below 500 mb during the unstable stage, <br /> <br />but the clouds are still within the baroclinic zone as seen by the continuing <br /> <br />cold air advection present within the cloud layer. The second and often the <br /> <br />highest precipitation rate occurs during the early part of the unstable stage. <br /> <br />If the storm is associated with a well defined upper level baroclinic zone, <br /> <br />then the 500 mb temperature will typically decrease below the -23C cutoff <br /> <br />temperature and the seeding generators will be turned off. If the blocking <br /> <br />flo~v exists past the time the 500 mb temperature decreased below -23C, i.e., <br /> <br />before the well defined convergence zone formed over Pagosa, then carryover <br /> <br />seeding ~vill occur when the convergence zone forms. <br /> <br />d. Dissipation stage <br /> <br />During this stage the baroclinic zone has passed over the San Juans and <br /> <br />the upper level flow is often north of west which produces downslope flow <br /> <br />over Wolf Creek Pass. The pressure gradient and/or base of the subsidence <br /> <br />inversion lo~vers to mountain top height. For one or both of the above reasons <br /> <br />the airflow slo~vly ceases to move over Wolf Creek Pass, the precipitation <br /> <br />from the scattered to broken cumulus clouds slowly ceases and the clouds <br /> <br />dissipate, thus ending the storm. <br /> <br />2. An atypical but very organized storm <br /> <br />The exception to the above typical storm structure and sequence occurred <br /> <br />I <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 /> <br />on 22 'Harch 1975. On this 'day a well organized storm approached the San Juans. I <br /> <br />The center of the strong baroclinic zone passed directly across the San Juans. <br /> <br />The storm was undergoing cyclogenesis throughout its passage across the south- <br /> <br />Hestern staLes. This ~vas the only storm studied \vhich contained a frontal <br /> <br />zone which passed over the area and displayed the normal sequences of weather <br /> <br />phenomenon one observes over the midwest. Hith the frontal passage the <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />. <br />