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Last modified
11/23/2009 12:58:16 PM
Creation date
10/4/2006 10:05:18 PM
Metadata
Fields
Template:
Floodplain Documents
County
Larimer
Community
Big Thompson Canyon
Stream Name
Big Thompson
Title
Natural Disaster Survey Report 76-1: Big Thompson Canyon Flash Flood of July 31 - August 1, 1976
Date
10/1/1976
Prepared For
Department of Commerce
Prepared By
NOAA
Floodplain - Doc Type
Flood Documentation Report
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<br /> <br />Use of Satellite Data at SFSS Kansas City. The SFSS located at Kansas City <br />has two meteorologists on duty three shifts per day, providing round-the- <br />clock service. They support 23 WSFOs in NWS's Central and Southern Regions, <br />as well as the National Severe Storms Forecast Center (NSSFC) with which <br />they are collocated. In addition, since July 6, 1976, with no addition in <br />staff, they have been supporting meteorological interests concerned with <br />the Gulf of Mexico by routine issuance of Satellite Interpretation Messages <br />(SIMs) four times daily. The primary duties of the SFSS meteorologists at <br />Kansas City include the following: (a) preparation of four SIMs per day which <br />cover subsynoptic scale weather features over 21 states in the central <br />United States; (b) preparation of special charts four times per day in support <br />of NSSFC; (c) preparation of four SIMs per day covering the Gulf of Mexico; <br />and (d) special, unscheduled relay of meteorological information, based on <br />satellite imagery interpretation to the appropriate WSFOs using FTS tele- <br />phones. This latter SFSS function is intended to provide information in <br />such a way that it can be used directly in the decision making process at <br />WSFOs. <br /> <br />On July 31, the SFSS Kansas City meteorologists were very busy. During the <br />early evening hours, intense convective development in the southern <br />Mississippi Valley required the constant attention of one meteorologist <br />who also had responsibility for the Gulf of Mexico. The second meteorologist <br />on duty was responsible for supporting NSSFC and 23 WSFOs. He concentrated <br />his efforts on the thunderstorms which were approaching severe limits in <br />southern Missouri and Arkansas and did not detect the significance of the <br />localized thunderstorm activity in north-central Colorado. <br /> <br />Post-Analysis of Satellite Data. The satellite information from July 31 <br />was examined in detail by the survey team. The rapid development of the <br />thunderstorm activity over northern Colorado, which was known to the <br />forecaster from radar information, was signalled in the satellite imagery <br />by an explosive growth in high (cold) cloud tops over that area. This is <br />seen in enlargements made of enhanced infrared images taken at 6:30 and <br />7:00 p.m., as shown in figures 12 and 13. Unfortunately, there are no <br />techniques now available for pin-pointing or estimating rainfall under such <br />cloud tops. <br /> <br />The post-analysis also revealed a gridding error in those images received at <br />WSFO Denver between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. This error was within the prescribed <br />accuracy limits and had no impact on events the evening of July 31. However, <br />errors of 15 to 20 miles, if not noticed, could adversely affect determina- <br />tion of storm location or motion, especially where more precise location <br />information is not available from weather radar as it was for the Big <br />Thompson area on July 31. <br /> <br />22 <br />
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