Wyoming Level Ii Weather Modification Feasibility Study
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This is a digital document from the collections of the Wyoming Water Resources Data System (WRDS) Library. For additional information about this document and the document conversion process, please contact WRDS at [email protected] and include the phrase “Digital Documents” in your subject heading. To view other documents please visit the WRDS Library online at: http://library.wrds.uwyo.edu Mailing Address: Water Resources Data System University of Wyoming, Dept 3943 1000 E University Avenue Laramie, WY 82071 Physical Address: Wyoming Hall, Room 249 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY 82071 Phone: (307) 766-6651 Fax: (307) 766-3785 Funding for WRDS and the creation of this electronic document was provided by the Wyoming Water Development Commission (http://wwdc.state.wy.us) Prepared by Weather Modification, Inc. 3802 20th Street North Fargo, ND 58102 701.235.5500 tel 701.235.9717 fax www.weathermod.com for the Wyoming Water Development Commission 6920 Yellowtail Road Cheyenne, WY 82002 307.777.7626 tel 307.777.6819 fax wwdc.state.wy.us 3 March 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION.......................................................................... 1 1. SCOPING AND PROJECT MEETINGS ............................................................... 3 1.1 17 August 2004, Cheyenne .............................................................................................................3 1.2 17 August 2004, Saratoga ...............................................................................................................4 1.3 18 August 2004, Eden Valley Irrigation District, Farson ..................................................................4 1.4 18 August 2004, Pinedale................................................................................................................5 1.5 19 August 2004, Dubois...................................................................................................................6 1.6 31 August 2004, National Weather Service, Riverton .....................................................................7 1.7 1 September 2004, Tribal Water Board, Fort Washakie..................................................................7 2. REVIEW AND SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS DATA................................................ 8 2.1 Observations of Ice Crystal and Ice Nuclei Concentrations in Stable Cap Clouds .........................8 2.2 An Investigation of Liquid Water-Ice Content Budgets Within Orographic Cap Clouds ..................8 2.3 Some Observations of Silver Iodide Plumes Within the Elk Mountain Water Resource Observatory ...............................................................................................................................................8 2.4 Cloud Droplet Concentrations and Cloud Condensation Nuclei in Elk Mountain Cap Clouds ........9 2.5 The Origin of Ice in Mountain Cap Clouds.......................................................................................9 2.6 The Possibility of Collision Nucleation by an AgI Aerosol in an Orographic Cap Cloud..................9 2.7 The Persistence of Seeding Effects in a Winter Orographic Cloud Seeded With Silver Iodide Burned in Acetone .....................................................................................................................................9 2.8 The Precipitation Efficiency of Orographic Clouds ........................................................................10 2.9 Condensation-Freezing Ice Nucleation in Wintertime Orographic Clouds ....................................10 2.10 Wind Characteristics in Southern Wyoming ..............................................................................10 2.11 Low-Level Airflow in Southern Wyoming During Wintertime .....................................................11 2.12 Observations of Liquid Water in Orographic Clouds Over Elk Mountain ..................................12 2.13 Field and Laboratory Studies of Ice Nucleation in Winter Orographic Clouds ..........................13 2.14 Cloud Droplet Measurements in Wintertime Clouds .................................................................14 2.15 The Eden Valley Irrigation District Operational Cloud Seeding Program..................................14 2.16 Additional Studies ......................................................................................................................14 3. CLIMATOLOGY OF THE PROJECT AREAS..................................................... 15 3.1 Precipitation and Snow Characteristics .........................................................................................16 3.2 Surface and Hydrologic Characteristics.........................................................................................20 3.3 SNOTEL Data ................................................................................................................................23 3.3.1 Wind River Range .................................................................................................................24 3.3.2 Medicine Bow – Sierra Madre Ranges..................................................................................30 4. DEVELOPMENT OF PRELIMINARY PROJECT DESIGN................................. 32 4.1 General Background ......................................................................................................................32 4.2 Important Issues for Project Design...............................................................................................36 4.3 Approach........................................................................................................................................36 4.4 Numerical Model Set-Up................................................................................................................37 4.4.1 Domain Configuration............................................................................................................37 4.4.2 Computing Platforms.............................................................................................................40 4.4.3 Modeling Physics ..................................................................................................................41 4.4.4 Initialization Data ...................................................................................................................42 4.4.5 Addition of Tracer ..................................................................................................................42 4.5 Baseline Simulations......................................................................................................................43 4.5.1 Synoptic Validation................................................................................................................44 4.5.2 Sensitivity to Microphysics Modules......................................................................................49 4.6 Tracer (“Seeding Material”) Simulations ........................................................................................51 4.6.1 Single “Generator” Simulations .............................................................................................51 4.6.2 Multiple “Generator” Simulations...........................................................................................52 4.7 Case Studies..................................................................................................................................53 4.7.1 Wind River Range .................................................................................................................54 ii 4.7.2 Medicine Bow/Sierra Madre Ranges.....................................................................................58 4.8 Summary and Implications for Project Design...............................................................................62 4.9 Preliminary Project Design.............................................................................................................64 4.9.1 Seeding Equipment and Aircraft............................................................................................65 4.9.2 Observational Tools ..............................................................................................................67 4.9.3 Numerical Model Predictions.................................................................................................68 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF OPERATIONAL CRITERIA............................................ 71 5.1 General Overview ..........................................................................................................................71 5.2 Operational Procedures .................................................................................................................71 5.2.1 Operational Status and Launch Decisions ............................................................................72 5.2.2 Ground-Based Seeding Procedure .......................................................................................72 5.2.3 Aircraft Based Seeding Procedure........................................................................................72 5.2.4 When Not to Seed .................................................................................................................75 5.3 Project Coordination.......................................................................................................................76 6. ENVIRONMENTAL AND LEGAL ASPECTS.....................................................