NASA TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM (NASA-TU-78262) A PRELI8INABY LOOK AT N80- 18636 AVE-SESAHE 1 CONDUCTED 0U 10-11 APRIL 1979 (8lASA) 52 p HC AO4/HP A01 CSCL 040 Unclas G3/47 47335 A PRELIMINARY LOOK AT AVE-SESAME I CONDUCTED ON APRIL 10-1 1, 1979 By Steven F. Williams, James R. Scoggins, Nicholas Horvath, and Kelly Hill February 1980 NASA George C. Mdrrhall Space Flight Center Marshall Space F/@t Center, Alabdrnd MBFC - Form 3190 (Rev June 1971) ,. .. .. .. , . YAFrl," I?? CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES ........................... iv LIST OF TABLES ............................ vii 1. OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE ...................... 1 2. DATA COLLECTGD ......................... 1 a. Rawinsonde Soundinps.... .................... 1 b. Surface a* Upper -Air -..+ .................... 4 3. SMOPTIC CONDITIONS ....................... 4 a. Synoptic Charts ....................... 4 b. Radar.. .......................... 5 c. Satellite.. ........................ 5 4. SEVERE AND UNUSUAL WkXPIk h. REPORTED ............... 37 PRriCICDINQ PAGE BUNK NOT FKMED iii - .%; . ,,. r* , . * *. '' ,..'~ LIST OE' FIGURES Figure Page Location of rawinsonde stations participating in the AVE-SESAME I experiment ................. 3 Synoptic charts for 1200 GMT. 10 April 1979 ....... 6 Surface chart for 1800 GMT. 10 April 1979 ........ 9 Synoptic charts for 0000 GMT. 11 April 1979 ....... 10 Surface chart for 0600 GMT. 11 April 1979 ........ 13 Synoptic charts for 1200 GMT. 11 April 1979 ....... 14 Radar sunmxy for 1435 GMT. 10 April 1979 ........ 17 Radar summary for 1935 GMT. 10 ~pril1979 ........ 17 Radar summary for 2235 GMT. 10 April1979 ........ 18 Radar sumnary for 0135 GMT. 11 ~pril1979 ........ 18 Radar summary for 0235 GMT. 11 ~pril1979 ........ 19 Radar sununary for 0435 GMT. 11 April 1979 ........ 19 Radar summary for 0535 GMT. 11 April 1979 ........ 20 Radar summary for 0635 GMT. 11 April 1979 ........ 20 Radar sununary for 0735 GMT. 11 April 1979 ........ 21 Radar surrrmary for 0835 GMT. 11 April 1979 ........ 21 Radar summary for 0935 GMT. 11 Awil 1979 ........ 22 Radar summary for 1035 GMT. 11 April 1979 ........ 22 Radar su~naryfor1135GMT.llApril1979 ........ 23 GOES-East infrared satellite imagery for 1202 GMT. 10 April 1979 ....................... 24 GOES-East infrated satellite imagery for 1301 GMT. 10 April 1979 ....................... 24 GOES-East visual satellite imagery for 1401 GMT. 10 April 1979.......................25 1,IPT OF P U>tlWS (Continued) Page GOES-East visual satellite imagery for 1501 GMT, 10 eil1979... ..........m.......... GOES-East visual satel:ite imagery for 1601 GMT, 10 April 1979 . GOES-East visual sateilite imagery for 1700 GMT, 10 April 1979. , , , . GOES-East visual sat-e'.-i.te imagery for 1801 GMT, 10 Apri11Q79. ....................... GOES-East visual satell.;l.te imagery for 1900 GMT, 1L April 1979 . , . GOES-East visuai sate!lite imagery for 2000 GMT, 10 Apri11979. .... .................. GOES-East visual :.at.*?;:tcx imagery for 2100 GMT, 1:; April 1979 . .................. GOES-East visual satcl1it.e imagery for 2200 GMT, 10 April 1979 . GOES-East visual satellite imagery for 2300 GMT, 10 April 1979. GOES-East visual saLellite imagery for 0014 GMT, 11 April 1979 . GOES-East infrar&- satellite imagery for 0101 GMT, 11 April 1979 . GOES-East infrared satellite imagery for 0201 GMT, 11 April 1979. GOES-East in£rared satellite imagery for 0303 GMT, 11 April 1979 . GOES-East infrared satcllite hagery for 0401 GMT, 11 April 1979 . GOES-East infrared satcllitc imagery for 0501 GMT, 11 April 1979. LIST OF FIGURES (Continued) Figure 38 GOES-East infrared satellite imagery for 0615 GMT, 11 April1979... ..................... 3 3 GOES-East infrared satellite imagery for 0715 GMT, 11 April 1979. 33 GOES-East infrared satellite imagery for 0801 GHT, 11 April 1979 . 34 GOES-East infrared satellite imagery for 0901 GUT, 11 April 1979. 34 GOES-Last infrared satellite imagery for 1001 GMT, 11 April 1979 . 3 5 GOES-East infrared satellite imagery for 1101 GMT, 11 April 1979 . 35 GOES-East infrared satellite imagery for 1145 GMTI 11 April 1979. 36 Severe weather reports that occurred between 1200 GMT 10 April and 1200 GNT 11 April 1979 in the South Central Unitedstates ...................... 5 2 Red River Valley tornado outbreak of 10 April 1979 . 53 LIST OP TABLES Rrrwinsonde stations participating in AVE-SESAME I experiment. ...................... 2 Teletype reports taken from NOAA weathor wire and national wmther summaries of eevetre and unusual weather: ftm 0600 CST Aipil 10 to 0600 CST Apail 11, 1979*.*................*.*.... 38 Fujita Scale damage specifications ........... 54 vii i 'I. * 2- $..-I Technical Memorandum 78262 A PRELIMINARY IDOK AT AVE-SESAME I CONDUCTED* ON APRIL 10-11, 1979 1. OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE The objective of the AVE-SESAME I experiment was to gather rawinsonde sounding data at 3-hr intervals for the purpose of investigating atmospheric variability, especially the interaction of severe storms with their environ- ment. Mesosynoptic conditions associated with tornadoes, severe thunder- storms, damaging winds, hail, turbulence, low visibility, and flooding can be studied both spatially and temporally to better understarlcl the formation, developnent, and main~enanceof severe local weather the inter- relationships between convective activity and its environment. This quick-look report contains information on the general weather conditions during the AVE-SESAME I period, and a summary of severe weather reports assembled from the NOAA weather wire and the national weather summaries. The purpose of this report is to provide to researchers a preliminary look at conditions during the AVE-SESAME I period. Additional information has been presented by Aiberty, et al., (1979). 2. DATA COLLECTED a. Rawinsonde soundings Rawinsonde soundings were collected at 23 National Weather Service stations and at 19 special stations. A list of these stations is givzn in Table 1, and their locations are shown in Fig. 1. The dates and times of scheduled soundings were as follows : -Date Time (GMT) 10 April 1979 12, 15, 18, 21 11 April 1979 00, 03, 06, 09, 12 Tablo 1. r\nwinsondc stations participating in Ai'E-SESNE I axporimcnt . Station Number Ilocation NWS Stations (CKL) Centcr\*ille, Al. (Biz) Bootlrvi.lle, La. (JAN) Jackson, Ms. (LCII) Lake Charles, La. (GGG) Longvicw , Tx. (VCT) Victoria, TIC. (SEP) Stepllc?n\~ille,Tx. (DRT) Del Rio, Tx. (tjAF) Midland, TX, (CLP) El Paso, Tx. (nm) Nashvi 1.1~, Tn . (CITI Littlc Rock, Ar. (UPTN) Monett, No. (OCK) Oklahoma City, Ok. (WA) finarillo, Tx. (MI) Albuqucrque, Nm. (SLO) Salem, 11. ;;LC) Dodge CALy, i:S. (TOP) Topeka, Ks. (DCN) Denver, Co. (PIA) Peoria, 11. ( 02-lA ) Omaha, Me. (W3F) North Plntte, Ne. Special Stations (N3I) Abilc~lc, Tx . (BVO) Bartl.csvillc, Ok. (COU) Columbia, 110. ( cns Childrcss, Tx. (CLIL) Collcgc Station, Tx. (CIJK) Concordia, Ks. (Dun) Durant, Ok. (I"S!.I) Fort Smitll, Ar. (GAG Gagc, 0::. ( C LD) Gooc\la~~tl,Ks . (1CT) Wichita, Ks. (JCT) Junction, Tx. ' (t.lLU) Monroe, la. (:.lI:P) Marfa, l'x. (!TI')!) Morton, 'l'x . ( 0ri.1) Ot tu~n!\la, Irl . (rnrq Pcplar I~luff,Mo. (RT.71) Raton, Hln. (Uo:.o Oxford, I.!!; . NH'S Rat~insoudestations Special rawinsonde stat ions Fig. 1 Location ni r~??insoridnF tntions p3rtj.c ipa tills in the AVE-SESAEE 5 cxpcrimcnt . t A canplete listing of sounding data interpolated to 25+ intarvals ie given by Gerhard et. &., (1979) . b. Surfaca anrd "pper Air surface and sounding data transmitted over facsimile and teletype are archived routinely at Texas A&M University. These charts and data also are available from the National Climatic Center in Ashevillo, North Carolina. 3. SYNOPTIC CONDITIONS a. Synoptic C21c-t -. Surface and upper air charts during the AVE-SESAME I period are presented in Figs. 2-6. Surface charts are presented at 6-hr intervals and upp~air charts at 12-hr intervals. These charts show the general conditions during the experiment and should not be used for other purposes. ,It 1200 c;MT on 10 April 1979, a rapidly deepening low was centered over castern Colorado with a cold front extending southward into west Texas. At thc same timc, a weak warm front extending from Tcxas through the south- rnstcrn United Stater, ~uslleclnorthwdrd, transporting warm moist air from the culf of rrcxicn to thc! vicinity of thc advancing cold front. As the day proqrenscd, the warm and cold front occludcd in Texa:; and moved northeastward. Conditions werc favorable for con~cctivcactivity by 0000 GMT on 11 April 1379 with the low-1t:vcl advection of molsturc from thc Gulf, lift of this coist air by thc cold front, and an increase in convcctivc instability. A deep trough of low prcssurc cxtcnding through Bcw blcxico at 500 mb wds responsible for generating a series of short-wave impulses through Tcxas and Oklahoma. The dcvclopmcnt of two pre-frontal squ~lllines to thc east of the advancing cold front, the existence of a dry line in Wcst Tcxas, and the presence of a 50tnot low-level jet all coupled to trigger the outbreak * 0 of severe weather in north central Texas and 8atht.m Oklahoma. By 1200 GMT on 11 April 1979, as the warm front advanced northward into the polat air mas, snow developed over portions of northwest Kansas and Nebraska. b. -Radar Selected radar swmary charts are presented in Figs. 2-14. Tt~tse charts show areas of principal convective activity, heights of echoes, movement vectors, severe weather watch boxes, etc. c. Satellite Satellite photographs were taken at 15-min intervals during the AVE-SESAME I period. These photographs consisted of both infrartad and visual. Selected satellite photographs for each hour during the period are presented in Figs. 20-44. t e !a) Surface (e) 300 mb (f) 200 mb Fig. 2. Continued, Fig. 3 Surface chart for 1800 W, 10 April 1979. I , .* .I "' ... .. I (a) Surface I (dl 500 mb Fig, 4, Continued. ;f) 200 mb Fig. 4. Continued. Fig. 5. Surface chart for 0600 GMT, 11 April 1979. ORIGINAL PAGE IS (b) 850 mb OF POOR QUALln pig.