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<br /> <br />Although not directly related to this event, it is true that WSMO Limon <br />had experienced a very high rate of staff turn-over which has had an adverse <br />impact on operator experience level. Based on discussions with staff members <br />at Limon and with the Central Region Director, the team concluded that this <br />was due to two factors. First, the grade structure at Limon places operator <br />grades one level lower than operators for a WSR-57 collocated with a WSO or <br />WSFO where they participate in non-radar functions. The second factor is the <br />scarcity and high price of family housing in or near Limon. Operators stay <br />at Limon only until they can bid successfully on another job. There have <br />been a total of 18 different people assigned to the 5-man operator staff <br />since 1970 with the greatest turnover beginning in 1974. <br /> <br />In spite of these problems, a qualified radar operator was on duty during <br />the storm. The survey team also noted first-hand that the forecasters at <br />WSFO Denver rely very heavily on the Limon WSR-57 in carrying out their <br />warning functions. <br /> <br />Satellite Data <br /> <br />A large amount of satellite imagery is available to the forecaster at WSFO <br />Denver and he may also call on the Satellite Field Service Station (SFSS) <br />in Kansas City for assistance in interpretation of satellite information. <br /> <br />On the day and evening of the flood, all satellite data were received at <br />WSFO Denver and SFSS Kansas City as scheduled at half-hourly intervals. <br />Grids are implanted on the pictures by computer prior to receipt at both <br />offices. Gridding accuracy was within the 20 miles which has been estab- <br />lished as a requirement. All imagery received at WSFO Denver was of high <br />photographic quality and was posted for the forecaster to see, with each <br />picture available to the forecaster about 20 minutes after it was taken. <br />This delay is inherent in the system. Images are ready for interpretation <br />by the meteorologist at SFSS Kansas City 30 to 35 minutes after the <br />satellite has viewed an area. The additional lag-time, as compared with <br />availability at WSFO Denver, is due to photographic dark room processing <br />of the imagery and its ingestion into the SFSS image analyzer equipment. <br /> <br />Use of Satellite Data at WSFO Denver. The main uses of satellite imagery <br />at WSFO Denver are: (a) determination of thunderstorm location and behavior <br />west of the Continental Divide where WSFO Denver has no real-time radar <br />coverage; (b) location of fronts and squall lines; and, (c) extent of <br />nighttime cloud cover. During the day shift on July 31, the fire weather <br />forecaster used satellite data to monitor thunderstorm development in the <br />southwest part of the state and the lead forecaster increased rainfall <br />probabilities in his forecast based on the abundant moisture evident in <br />the satellite pictures. The lead forecaster on the evening shift began <br />his work at 4:00 p.m. He noticed from satellite pictures that thunderstorms <br />were forming along a line from central Kansas into eastern Colorado, as <br />seen in figure 10. He took note of this line again at 7:30 p.m., as he was <br />issuing a severe thunderstorm warning (figure 11). He again looked at the <br />satellite data between 9:00 and 9:30 p.m. when he used the imagery to again <br />confirm the Limon radar information that the thunderstorms were moving <br />northward out of the Estes Park area. <br /> <br />19 <br />