WMOD00591

• Title: Investigations of Winter Storms over the Wasatch Plateau during the 1994 NOAA-Utah Field Research Program - Final Report
• Date: 7/1/1996
• State: UT
• Weather Modification - Doc Type: Report

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The approach of a fa~t moving short wave that was rotating around the strong offshore trough
is quite evident in Fig. 23 when: the wind backed from ahout 260010 2000 between 1700 and 2000.
Dry air was advcctcd over Utah from the south. in sharp contrast 10 the typical prctrough

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Figure 2-1. GOES mfrared mwgefrom /ROO CiA-fr(l/()() A/S1) 01/ IV February /(1)-1.

environment This advection of dry air is evident in the de".' pomt depression contours of Fig. 25,
the cloud and 700 mb patterns at 1700 on 19 February. As Ihis "dry slot" moved into central Utah
the cloud field dissipated and SL W disappeared over RRS by 1730. The drying is also seen in the
decreasing vapor after 1700 on Fig. 23. The organized cloud band associated v"ith the short wave
to the west oflJtah is clearly evident In Fig. 25, where the height field indicates the v..ave axis was
in central California.
This short wave moved across the northwest corner of Utah and most of the moisture
associated with It stayed to the northwest of the research area. The north\".cst-southeast orientation

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