tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post5927065581414887609..comments2024-03-28T07:09:59.093-08:00Comments on Deep Cold: Alaska Weather & Climate: Snowiest Place - CFS ReanalysisRickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03946704894714514716noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post-22194850154918137512015-12-01T18:41:19.312-09:002015-12-01T18:41:19.312-09:00I actually e-mailed the CFS folks a few weeks ago ...I actually e-mailed the CFS folks a few weeks ago looking for archived data. Unfortunately they do not store very much on site and NOMADS does not appear to have much.Climatologist49https://www.blogger.com/profile/04560505931210357679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post-73968464329498870792015-12-01T18:17:15.595-09:002015-12-01T18:17:15.595-09:00I've seen their aircraft in Fairbanks (http://...I've seen their aircraft in Fairbanks (http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/snowsurvey/) that are probably used in some form to calibrate other data and also estimate "aeral snow water equivalent value". Likely an aid in forecasting the potential for Spring melt and floods in rivers.<br /><br />GaryNL7Yhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15874712728971005352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post-72185958222399921642015-12-01T17:44:22.940-09:002015-12-01T17:44:22.940-09:00Yup, that's a work of interface art...they hav...Yup, that's a work of interface art...they have some talented and motivated people. <br /><br />I've just started to explore the page especially the modeled versus observed info accessible by enabling the query function and clicking on the station locator feature. Even has written descriptive popups for the menu. <br /><br />GaryNL7Yhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15874712728971005352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post-53401740677369585272015-12-01T16:59:14.069-09:002015-12-01T16:59:14.069-09:00Andy, unfortunately I'm not aware of a site to...Andy, unfortunately I'm not aware of a site to pull up graphical displays of CFSR data. ESRL is good for the older NCEP/NCAR reanalysis, but I don't think they cover CFSR. Part of the reason may be that the resolution is high enough that the total amount of data is difficult to manage; at our company we archive about 2TB of new CFSR data per year. So I made the graphics myself for this post. If you're interested in working with some raw data files, I can give you some pointers.<br />Richard Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08313902028896263276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post-59923073725609422612015-12-01T16:53:07.198-09:002015-12-01T16:53:07.198-09:00Thanks Gary, I had not seen that page before. It&...Thanks Gary, I had not seen that page before. It's quite a remarkable interface, including a query tool to examine available observed data. Very interesting.<br />Richard Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08313902028896263276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post-36853676876330427652015-12-01T11:56:36.376-09:002015-12-01T11:56:36.376-09:00Hi Andy. Any further insight into this experimenta...Hi Andy. Any further insight into this experimental NOAA program from Richard and you would be worth reading. <br /><br />There are a few SNOTEL measurement locations in Alaska (http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/). <br /><br />Not many folks are interested in poking a stick in the snow for science.<br /><br />GaryNL7Yhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15874712728971005352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post-75299795898256963412015-12-01T10:45:16.233-09:002015-12-01T10:45:16.233-09:00Richard, is there a way for the public to access t...Richard, is there a way for the public to access the graphical portion of the CFSR? I enjoy this kind of stuff immensely.Andy Ahttp://www.ryanalaska.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post-67893254677855187712015-12-01T10:43:41.658-09:002015-12-01T10:43:41.658-09:00Gary, I did a couple of referencing between curren...Gary, I did a couple of referencing between current reported snow depth and what the color scale shows for certain stations and it appears fairly accurate. I am going to dig into the historical record, as well. Andy Ahttp://www.ryanalaska.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post-72523434412916729362015-11-30T18:46:50.546-09:002015-11-30T18:46:50.546-09:00Here's a link to NOAA's snow info center:
...Here's a link to NOAA's snow info center:<br />http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov<br /><br />Modeled snow output for Alaska on November 30, 2015. Other dates and data can be selected, as can the various models used to derive the inferred data. A geographic area of interest can be boxed with the cursor for amplification:<br /><br />http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/interactive/html/map.html?ql=station&zoom=&loc=Latitude%2CLongitude%3B+City%2CST%3B+or+Station+ID&var=ssm_depth_gc&dy=2015&dm=11&dd=30&dh=0&snap=1&o9=1&o12=1&o13=1&lbl=m&mode=pan&extents=ak&min_x=-169&min_y=51.749999999995&max_x=-129&max_y=74.249999999995&coord_x=-149&coord_y=62.999999999995&zbox_n=&zbox_s=&zbox_e=&zbox_w=&metric=0&bgvar=dem&shdvar=shading&width=800&height=450&nw=800&nh=450&h_o=0&font=0&js=1&uc=0<br /><br />Not sure if it's representative of reality, but most historic data collection programs I've come across for snow depth in Alaska seem to come and go (likely due to personnel and funding), river basin flooding predictions in Spring being a possible exception.<br /><br />GaryNL7Yhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15874712728971005352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post-10140831208287917622015-11-28T21:18:29.796-09:002015-11-28T21:18:29.796-09:00http://earth3dmap.com/#?l=63.8894,-152.2678,0,0,41...http://earth3dmap.com/#?l=63.8894,-152.2678,0,0,41,77,15591<br /><br />Start at Lake Minchumina and fly the cursor and 3-d view W/NW/NE to gain an appreciation for the terrain and rivers...the North Fork Kuskokwim draining to the south/McGrath area, the Kantishna draining north from Minchumina. In combination they support weather advection from a SW direction over rising terrain and into often colder air. <br /><br />To the west the Yukon/Innoko River complex supports NE transport towards Poorman and Ruby, traditionally nasty places for low conditions in winter. In combination the Kuskokwim hills get lots of low weather conditions and snow as confirmed by local trappers, including me (also see Ruby wx obs). <br /><br />Depending upon moisture content remaining after upslope drying over the Alaska Range to the SE and any adiabatic warming, the Tanana Jet's SE>NW>SW flow can bring snow from the SE, but in my 32 yrs of winter camping at ~64.4N-150.8W, the snow produced is lower than a that due to a southwesterly vector. <br /><br />It snows more in the Kuskokwim hills than in Fairbanks, but high NE winds in winter/spring from the Yukon River, Livengood, and the Tanana Jet can compact and redistribute the base in exposed locations. The area's sand dunes testify to long term Aeolian transport. <br /><br />Gary NL7Yhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15874712728971005352noreply@blogger.com