The Effect of Lake Erie on the Local Distribution of Precipitation in Winter (II)* LT
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The Effect of Lake Erie on the Local Distribution of Precipitation in Winter (II)* LT. JOHN T. REMICK 620 East Ave., Lockport, N. Y. MAPS OF PRECIPITATION AND SNOWFALL DEPTHS FROM INDIVIDUAL STORMS These maps were difficult to compile. precipitation pattern. Newspaper re- First the dates of possible local storms ports and the author's first hand had to be found. They were obtained knowledge of certain storms were also principally from two sources, the sum- used in the attempt to get the true maries of weather conditions by precipitation pattern. months as they appear by states in JANUARY, 1940 the "Climatological Data" of the The frontal and local precipitation Weather Bureau, and newspaper re- maps (figs. 5 and 6) were drawn by ports—chiefly the New York Times. carefully separating the precipitation When a possible date was found the at all reporting stations into the two situation was looked up on the daily types—frontal and local. The daily weather maps to be sure that frontal precipitation at each station was activity would not explain the storm. listed and then after studying the If there were any type of a front in daily maps the precipitation on all the vicinity it had to, (1) be weak, days on which it possibly could have (2) cause little or no precipitation, and been caused by frontal activity was (3) interfere little, if any, with the added up. These amounts were plotted relatively smooth air flow. The on fig. 5. The local precipitation amounts of precipitation as reported amounts (fig. 6) were arrived at by in the "Climatological Data" were deducting the frontal amounts from then scanned and if they or the news- the total amounts. It is admittedly paper reports showed amounts of pre- sometimes difficult to be sure just cipitation amounting to 0.7" or more when the precipitation is local or the data were plotted on one of the frontal but when in doubtt the frontal base maps and isohyets were drawn at precipitation was given the benefit. convenient intervals. While only 10 Figures 7-9 show three individual storms were found to meet the above situations which contributed toward specifications in the last 15 years it is the total local precipitation during likely that some have been overlooked. January 1940 and are drawn in the The vectors (arrows) drawn on same manner as the other individual some of the individual charts indicate situations. the mean direction and roughly by By January the lake temperature their length the intensity of the geo- has reached the freezing point and strophic wind. They are placed on the considerable ice is present, the amount maps to show the relation of pressure varying from year to year. One gradient to location and intensity of would, therefore, expect the lake ef- local precipitation. fect to become less pronounced and Charts of all 10 storms are repro- precipitation patterns would be more duced (figs. 5-23) but only two will be affected by orographic influences. Jan- discussed in detail. In drawing the iso- uary 1940 was a very cold month, the hyets no station was neglected, but average temperature being about 8° they were smoothed out to some ex- below normal over the region. Figure tent to give a clearer picture of the 5, showing the total frontal precipita- tion for January 1940, should be com- •Concluded from the January BULLETIN, pp. pared with figure 6, showing the total 1-4. Unauthenticated | Downloaded 10/02/21 03:40 AM UTC local precipitation. The pattern for the Jamestown, New York, area and, the frontal precipitation is very if real, is probably due to some local spotty and is difficult to explain. The peculiarities. Figures 7-9 show 3 maximum occurs in the mountains in- different periods of local precipitation dicating some orographic effect. The which go into making up the totals. pattern for the local precipitation is The period January 1-4 was one of much different, showing a distinct strong Pc flow from the northwest. band of maximum precipitation on January 16-19 was one of moderately the lee side of the lake but about 25 strong Pc flows* and January 26-31 miles inland. The fact that the band was a period of very light winds. Note of maximum precipitation occurs some how the amount of precipitation is distance inland shows that although associated with the strength of the there were many days of cold Pc flows wind. Although January 1940 was an from the west and northwest not unusual month in the amount of cold much moisture was picked up over the P'c air flows the condition occurs lake due to low water temperature enough on the average to show an and short trajectory over water and effect on the normal. The normal pre- therefore some uplifting by the land cipitation pattern shows the maximum was necessary to produce the local to occur some distance inland where snows. Because the condition lasted the orographic effect becomes impor- many days the total local precipita- tant. Also note the similarity of the tion was heavy on the windward side distribution of the local precipitation of the hills. for January 1940 with the distribution Again there seems to be two points of the January normal precipitation. of maximum precipitation: one in the Jefferson, Ohio, region, the other in *Cf. BULL., V. 21, pp. 159-160, 1940.—ED. Unauthenticated | Downloaded 10/02/21 03:40 AM UTC RELIABILITY OF DATA going on all day showed 0.07" which he justified by measuring on a wind Horton4 gives the following as the swept box a 1" snow depth which had errors that may occur in the measure- been melting most of the day. The ment of precipitation: 1) observa- precipitation record of 0.07" certainly tional errors, personal equation and was considerably deficient. No doubt mistakes, 2) instrument operation there are times when the conditions error, 3) errors due to evaporation, 4) are reversed and an excessive amount errors due to inclination of gage fun- is recorded. nel, 5) wind or exposure error, 6) The lack of uniformity as to the location error. These errors may not time of taking precipitation observa- be of much importance when precipi- tions is believed to be of considerable tation falls as rain but when it occurs importance, especially when the local as light wind driven snow there must storm occurs just preceding or just be considerable error. after frontal precipitation. At all first After a typical light local snow order Weather Bureau stations such this winter I had demonstrated to me as Cleveland and Buffalo the amount by one of the Weather Bureau's co- recorded is from midnight to midnight operative observers5 the exact tech- while most cooperative observers make nique used in measuring the pre- their observations at sun down. A cipitation. The snow had occurred considerable number of observers, es- during the night with considerable pecially in Ohio, make their observa- wind and a bright warm sun shone all tions in the morning so there is at a day. His measurement taken at 6 at minimum a 12-hour spread in report- night after evaporation had been ing 24-hour amounts of precipitation. When the storm occurs over one day and is not directly preceded or fol- 4Horton, Measurement of Rain and Snow, lowed by frontal precipitation the time Mo. Wea. Rev., vol. 47, 1919, pp. 294-296. difference will not cause any trouble. 5R. N. Clark, Lockport, New York. Unauthenticated | Downloaded 10/02/21 03:40 AM UTC INDIVIDUAL LOCAL STORMS OCTOBER 18-19, 1930* chard Park region about 15 miles As an example the extremely heavy south of Buffalo. Needless to say the local snow storm of October 18-19, damage done was tremendous. So 1930 will be discussed. This storm was early in the winter did the storm the best illustration of the lake effect occur that the leaves had hardly be- that could be found. gun to fall. On October 14th an Alberta low One of the remarkable features of developed to moderate intensity and the storm was the very sharp line moved sluggishly eastward along the marking the snow area. In the north Canadian border bringing in much part of Buffalo no snow at all was colder air behind it. This low became reported. In south Buffalo 6 inches stationary over the lower Hudson Bay fell. At Lockport the sun shone region and deepened considerably to brightly both days but the band of less than 29.4 inches. The result of thick dark stratocumulus clouds were this in combination with a strong clearly visible to the south. Polar high to the west and south was Because the heaviest amounts of to set up a strong west-east gradient precipitation occurred just inside the over Lake Erie. The wind at Buffalo lake shore little of it can be blamed was force 5 and 6 from the west and on the upslope of the land. Only one west southwest all during the 18th inch of snow fell at Jamestown—a and 19th. By the 20th the gradient place which seems to get a maximum weakened, the winds died down, and of orographic effect. The shape of the the lake temperature was 5F° lower. precipitation is almost exactly what The temperature of Lake Erie on one would expect with a west and west the 18th and 19th was 59°F. All Lake southwest wind. Had the flow of air Erie temperatures are those recorded been a little more from the southwest by the Buffalo Water Department at it seems logical to suppose that the its intake point some distance into the maximum amount of snow would have lake.