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<br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br /> <br />4.2 Operational Summary <br /> <br />February <br /> <br />February began on a dry note, with only some relatively weak systems crossmg <br />Colorado. During the middle and latter part of the month, however, several stronger systems <br />moved through the area and brought some heavy snow. <br /> <br />The first seeding storm for the Gunnison County Program occurred on February 2-3, <br />2003. A weakening upper-level storm system crossed Colorado overnight, producing some snow <br />showers. Several generators were turned on during the evening of Feb. 2, in positions favorable <br />to seed in west to southwest flow. Snow showers fell overnight, producing substantial <br />accumulations in some areas. Monarch Pass reported 14" of snow. Snowfall reports from <br />generator operators included 4" at Crested Butte, and 3" at Ohio City. Seeding ended on the <br />morning of Feb. 3 as the storm moved east. A cold trough of low pressure remained over the <br />western U.S. on Feb. 4, and 3 seeding generators during the late morning and early afternoon <br />hours (storm event #2) as snow showers developed. However, the atmosphere was very cold and <br />somewhat on the dry side, so snowfall amounts were light. <br /> <br />The next seeding opportunity came on Feb. 13-14, as a storm containing tropical <br />moisture moved onshore in California and across the western U.S. Because of the <br />tropicallsubtropical origin of the airmass, this was a very warm system and snow levels rose to <br />about 9,000 feet on the 13th, with rain falling on lower portions of the target area. Conditions at <br />this time were too warm for seeding, with temperatures of 0 to -2 C at the 700-mb level. Slightly <br />cooler air moved in overnight, and seeding was conducted from the evening of the 13th until late <br />morning on the 14th (#3), when precipitation ended. This was a fairly wet storm event, with <br />SNOTEL data indicating that most ofthe target area received approximately 1-2 inches of water <br />equivalent. <br /> <br />A weakening storm system crossed Colorado on the night of Feb. 16-17, producing some <br /> <br />40 <br />