McMurdo Station Fog Climatology 1973-1998

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McMurdo Station Fog Climatology1973-1998

• Matthew A. Lazzara
• Antarctic Meteorological Research Center
• Space Science and Engineering Center
• University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Outline

• Data and A Fog Day
• Historical review
• Fun facts to know and tell
• Interesting items found
• Future work

A.Cayette
Data 1973-1998 Synoptic observations from NCDC
(Navy) 1999-2003 Climatology reports from
ATS/SPAWAR
Definition A Fog Day There is at least one
hour during the day that fog is reported (present
weather or past weather)
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McMurdo Fog Climatology Whats Normal?
Poor Data Quantity
US Navy (NCDC)
SPAWAR (Direct)
Why so little fog?
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McMurdo Fog Climatology 1973-2003 Monthly View
Ice Fog Peak
Liquid Fog Peak
?
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Fun facts to know and tell

• More detailed analysis looking at the largest
  fog category reported WMO 40
• Fog occurs at a wide range of temperatures,
  pressures, wind speeds, cloud coverage, etc.

• However
• Fog observations have a very high correlation
  with a preferred wind direction
• Preferred Temperatures reflect fog type (liquid
  vs. ice)
• Pressure not too high or low
• Clouds..

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Fog most in the wee hours to early morning to
mid-morning 12-0 UTC
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Majority of the fog events have an Easterly wind
component!
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East to East Southeasterly wind direction!!
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Winds 0 to 4 MPH to 18 MPH to as high as 35 MPH!!
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-23 C/-10 F
0 C/32F
Ice Fog!
Liquid Fog!
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Fog occurs at neither very High nor Low
Pressure
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Fog occurs with either some or lots of sky
coverage
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Good News Fog doesnt always have clouds over
it Bad News It does enough, making it hard to
track by satellite
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Future work

• Complete this initial review
• Case Studies 1999 to 2003
• Detailed/in-depth analysis of events
• Satellite data Terra and Aqua and more
• Web site
• http//amrc.ssec.wisc.edu/fog
• http//amrc.ssec.wisc.edu/realfog.html
• Input from you!
• Observers
• Pilots
• Forecasters
• Researchers
• Others

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Questions ?E-mailmattl_at_ssec.wisc.eduFog
Web Sitehttp//amrc.ssec.wisc.edu/foghttp//amr
c.ssec.wisc.edu/realfog.html
Linda AWS site/M.Lazzara