29 July 2004

0235	Most activity in northern qudrant now (over land).

0300	Gustavo on duty.

0345	A cluster of cells is found at 80 deg and 50 km from the radar.  The core of this cluster shows reflectivities up to 56 dBZ.  S-Pol PD indicates heavy rain and hail and rain mix within this cluster.  The cluster is moving toward the radar.

0445	All convective activity is found inland and decaying.  Nothing is observed over the Gulf of California.

0547	Iris' alarm went off.  "The radar broke down," I thought.  No, IQ froze and was rebooted (so I have to stay and work the rest of the shift).

0645	Quickly developing, small convective cells less than 45 km ~105 deg from the radar.  A few of these cells have cores with reflectivities in excess of 55 dBZ.  These cells cannot be topped in ClimoFar mode.  Large stratiform area in the northern quadrant has been dissipating in the last 90 minutes.  In this same period, isolated convective cells began to form over the Gulf of California, not far from the coast.

0745	Almost all precipitating systems dissipating.  Only one steady system is found now.  It is stratiform and nearly stationary between 90-160 km E of S-Pol.

0845	Everything dissipating over land.  Isolated cumulus clouds continue to form and develop over the Gulf of California, less than 120 km from S-Pol.

0945	Cells continue to develop over the Gulf.

1045	Lightning has been observed at the S-Pol site in the last 30 minutes.  A snake was observed near the port-a-potties.

1145	A cluster of convective cells is moving in range of S-Pol from the NW.  The cluster is topped in ClimoNear mode.  A small convective cell ~240 deg and 45 km from S-Pol is just topped at 16.4 deg (thus, just bordering on ClimoFar mode).

1200	Simone and Sarah here.

1215	The cell at 45 km has died off and there is nothing within range from the radar which is not topped at 13.8, so we switched to ClimoFar again, also because another group of convective cells is moving toward the radar from NW ~180-200 km.

1700	Switched to ClimoShallow.  Boring morning.  Nothing of interest to look at.  Actually nothing at all.

1800	Dave and Steve Nesbitt here.  Just a seabreeze front and a couple new cells beyond 120 km over BW coast and ESE high terrain.

1841	Noting cells along sea breeze topping out at 12 km @ 125 km range.

1845	Switched to ClimoFar from ClimoShallow.

1902	Storms firing along sea breeze front.

1921	Sea breeze storms looking more respectable.  ETH 16 km 30 dBZ to 10.5 km.

2015	Sea breeze convection slipping south closer to us - switched to ClimoNear.  Some cells with 50-55 dBZ.

2030	Switching to 960 Hz PRF, but didn't get it switched in time.  Ran sectors with 720 Hz for 4 minutes.  This is bad for angular resolution.

2036	Started Microphysical 135 Near centered on 15 deg.

2038	Took out top angles to save time and get back on track with 15-min marks.

2039	Visually - storm is impressive.  Nice symmetric anvil and cumuli in the foreground.

2054	Back on track.

2122	Continuing microphysics scanning - doing RHIs through cores.

2140	Changed sector to 135 deg centered at 45 deg to capture cells to the ESE.  Nice low-level velocity couplet in storm @ 42 deg.

2225	Ended microphysical scans - climo near.  Did up to 1.8 deg @ 720 Hz.

2230	Back to nominal ClimoNear volumes.  2 hours of microphysical scans.

2333	Outflows merged into a strip parallel to coast and look like another sea breeze front.  Storms firing everywhere except in north quadrant where old storms were (nothing over ocean).