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1991 WEATHER OBSERVATIONS Taconite Inlet Project Abbreviations [Day of Year] * no specific time, range of times, or time not specified c approximately (in reference to time) esp. especially est. estimated ht. height min. minimum max. maximum temp. temperature (all in degrees C) Cloud types; number following type abbreviation is cloud extent, in tenths: AC Altocumulus ACL Altocumulus (lenticularis) AS Altostratus CC Cirrocumulus CI Cirrus CS Cirrostratus CU Cumulus SC Stratocumulus SF Stratus (fractus) ST Stratus OVC Overcast (10/10 cloud extent) 24 - 29 May at Tanquary Fjord * clear through the period; temperatures not much below freezing 29 May 1991 [149] 1430 arrive; thin ST, est. 400 - 1200 ft (scattered to broken cloud cover) 2400 visibility about 2 km 30 May [150] 1800 sky partially obscured; fog * clears PM 31 May [151] 0600 clear, cold (-9.5¡) * clear until 1900-2000 when clouds from south 1800 SC9, CS1 1 June [152] 0600 SC9 * continuing advance and lowering of clouds, then mixed precip. 1000 drizzle begins, changeover to snow 1030, back to light rain, then real rain 1330 real snow; stops mid-afternoon 1800 ST10 at 2000 ft, snowing * slight clearing late 2 June [153] 0600 CI2 0900 ST 10 * still, warm, overcast; plenty of radiation 1300 AS 10, calm at Echo; 3-4 cm new snow cover 1800 SC9 at 5000 ft 3 June [154] 0600 SC4, CI3 0910+ clear; clear most of day; very still and warm * radiation feels very high 1800 AS5, CI3; AS advancing from the south 4 June [155] 0910 8/10 clouds 1800 ST2, SC8; ST advancing up valley from north 5 June [156] 0600 ST10 * damp, overcast ST 0910 10/10 clouds 1800 sky partially obscured in fog 6 June [157] 0600 thin fog; sun dimly visible 0800 snow surface frozen - first time in 2-3 days 0900 10/10 clouds 0945 drizzle starts 1400 ST deck top at Echo Peak; thick below, basically clear above 1800 thin fog, CI3 PM [patchy?] clearing PM 7 June [158] 0600 clear 0700 clear, still; snow surface frozen 0930 clear 1800 SF2, CI2 8 June [159] 0600 ST3 0915 ST1 1200c some sun PM gradually thickening ST until ceiling at 300' and light snow 1800 light snow, ST 10 2200 thin ST, some sun; peaks in sun N.B.: detailed cloud & ceiling obs. exist for 1800 6/8 to 0600 7/12 (not yet digitized) 9 June [160] 0300 ST and fog 0600 ST4, CI4 * clear; PM west wind 1200 clear rest of day 1800 clear 10 June [161] 0600 clear * clear, still, intense sun 1700 clouds over peaks to west 1800 SF1 at 500 ft 11 June [162] 0600 clear 0730 snow surface mostly frozen, at 100 m elevation * clear, some low ST from N 1800 ST1, CI1 12 June [163] 0600 ST 10 1400 solid precip. begins; until 2000 1800 ST 10; light snow * no snow sticking below about 1500' at 2000 h 13 June [164] 0600 ST 10 * low ST, partially obscured, cold 1300 from delta, Echo looks to be in sun 1400-1800 Mike Glos and Pete report clear conditions at Echo * 10/10 clouds most of day at delta 1800 fog; sun visible, broken above 2000 AS 9 * clears partially PM 14 June [165] 0600 SC 4 1000 thin ST 0.5, SC 1.5 1130 CU clouds visible to south 1400 OVC: CU, SC, AS 1800 AS 6, AC 2 15 June [166] 0600 AS 3, CI 2 1100 virga to south about 1 km; evaporating at about 1000-1500 ft. 1800 SC 4, AS 2 2100 SC 10 16 June [167] 0600 AS 10 1000 AS 6, clearing from south 1800 SC 9 17 June [168] 0600 SC 10; ceiling higher to north AM OVC thick AS (Janet's obs. say SC 10) 0800 very light rain begins * snow most of afternoon 1800 fog, snow, sun not visible 1820 snowing 2200 dusting of snow visible on peaks to east; snowline ~1200'? 18 June [169] 0600 SC 10, broken to west * scattered snow showers 1800 AS 9, AC 1 2400 dusting of snow above about 1000' 19 June [170] 0000-0600 snow and drizzle 0600 light snow, sun dimly visible ST 8, AS 2 * cold 1800 ST 3, AC 4 2200 CI 2 2230 standing water (pond) along trail camp to gage is skinned over with ice 2300 CU clouds 20 June [171] 0600 OVC thick ST at 200', -2¡ 0600-0900 cold, raw and ugly 0900 snowing lightly 1200 most of moat skinned over with ice * drizzle 1800 fog, ST 10 21 June [172] * begins same as day before 0600 fog 10, 0.5 mi. visibility; blue sky through thin breaks to north 1800 ST 10, fog 22 June [173] 0600 snowing; dusting above about 1000 ft; ST 10 1500 Little Dhaulagiri Mtn. snowline rather sharp at 800-1000' 1800 snowing; ST 10 23 June [174] 0600 ST 9, AS 1 0700 snow plastered on windward side of stream gage box AM looks like clearing, warm 0900 ST closing down and in from north snow starts; does not stick to tundra 1200c snow almost covers tracks on Echo Peak trail, on descent 1330 heavier snowline on Little Dhaulagiri Mtn., at 1200' 1800 snow, ST 10 1930 still snowing, has been all day; disk of sun visible 2200 ST 10, snow; snows heavily all day 24 June [175] 0430 still snowing steadily, weather same 0600 snow, ST 10 0930 light snow falling 1800 snow continues - 33 hours nonstop 25 June [176] 0600 snow, ST 10 1130 still snowing, but lighter 1800 snow, ST 10 26 June [177] 0600 snow, ST 10 0615 snow stops, after maybe 69 hours; snowfall during the night is mostly on the side of precip gage (plus north side of rocks, etc.) Shadows emerge 0800 AC 2, ST 8 1200 snowing 1300-1400 clearing begins 1600 still cloudy (snowing) in mountains to east 1800 5/10 ST clouds 1900 less 2000 clear, or v. thin ST 2240 clear; pond along trail freezing over; snow crust 27 June [178] 0200 ST 10 thin; sun visible as bright spot 0600 ST 10, visibility 0.5 mi. in fog * clear on Echo Peak, about 0800-1100 2230 "horrible inversion"; sun not visible, ceiling maybe 100' 28 June [179] 0200 fog, limited visibility 0600 clearing, ST 9; some ST hanging around peaks 1115 light snow starts; intermittent 1800 AS 3, CI 5 * sun early evening 2100 AC 6, AS 2 29 June [180] 0600 ST 3, AS 5 AM still, uniform gray AS, humid 1200 warmer, high net radiation; thin AS and CS (10/10) 1400 less sun, looking threatening to south 1800 ST 4, AS 4; very low barometric pressure 30 June [181] 0600 AS 3, AC 1, CI 6 AM warm; high thin clouds 1000 lowering AS; precip. begun up high? 1530 giant snowflakes; heavy accumulating snow 1700 rain; est. snowline maybe 2000 ft 1800 ST 7, AS 3 1 July [182] 0230 wet snow and rain, very hard 0600 very snowy scene: ground about 50% white, tent plastered with snow ST 8, AC 2 0645 ground and tent bare of snow 0750 at ~200 m, water running everywhere, ground about half covered by snow 0800 ST 10 1330 Little Dhaulagiri Mtn. snow free, may have been at 1200 1800 ST 10 2 July [183] 0600 ST 10, fog and light snow 0700c heavy overcast 0840 v. lt. drizzle, ceiling about 400', cold 1715 brief bit of sun 1800 AC 8; AC 8-10 most of afternoon & evening 3 July [184] 0230 1/10 clouds in sky overhead (90¡ field of view) 0600 AC 4 900-1000 Delta "socks in with another inversion" 1800 ST 10, fog 1815 inversion persistent, cold NW wind PM light drizzle, through 2300 at least 4 July [185] 0600c feels warm and comfortable 0600 ST 6, CS 3 1800 AS 10 1800-2100 warm gusty S wind; ceiling lowering and ominous; snow begins quite squall-like * snow falls most of night 5 July [186] 0600c light snow; ground, etc. wet; snowline about 1000' 0600 ST 10 and snow 0800 switch wet snow to drizzle; freezing level between Echo Peak and Delta 1500 rain continues; changed from snow 1000-1200; rocks slippery and wet 1600 v. lt. drizzle and rain; snowline 1000-1200' * wet wet wet all day 1800 fog and drizzle; ST 10 2000 snowline on Little Dhaulagiri Mtn. is rising 2100 rain begins again, after 1 hour let-up 6 July [187] 0600 ST 10, light rain * rain and snow continue fairly steadily through 1300 1300 snowline shows little change 1615 little dusting of snow below main snowline at 1000-1200' 1800 ST 10, fog 2115 big wind gust; rain has let-up somewhat 2200 back to raining 7 July [188] 0600c intermittent drizzle and rain; snowline on Little Dhaulagiri Mtn. slightly higher and thinner (?) 0600 ST 10 and drizzle 0900 disk of sun now visible - first time in days; precipitation stops 1000 rain/snow mix starts up again 1200 still light rain, 1000' ceiling 1300 snow thinning on Little Dhaulagiri 1800 ST 10 2200 ST 10 8 July [189] 0600 40-50% snow cover above snowline on Little Dhaulagiri ST 4, AS 6 0900 now about 25% and going fast 1545 at glacier; snowfall starts 2200 ST 9, AS 1 9 July [190] 0600 ST 9, AS 1 * midday drizzle 1300-1400 1800 AS 10 10 July [191] 0200 rain (Mike thinks began 0100-0120) 0600 4.6 mm (corrected) precipitation in gage; currently snowing; ground is almost 50% white; Little Dhaulagiri Mtn. very snowy 0615 real rain 0645 some ST cloud definition, lowland snow melting 0900 snowing 1100 snowing very hard - far side of lake barely visible; getting dark! 1245 radiometers look like snow cones 1300 still snowing hard; ground covered except large rocks radiation and brightness seem to have increased 1315 radiometers cleared off (were mostly just wet); more radiation coming through clouds. Snow has let up, can now see across lake * relatively calm winds all day, so precip catch probably accurate 1400 still snowing 1500 still snowing 1600,1700 still snowing 1900 snowing as hard as ever, NW wind, colder 2100 snow lets up first time all day 11 July [192] 0600c sun! SC 6, CI 2 0700 SC 10, some spots very thin 1800 ST 10 and snow 2300 ST 10 12 July [193] 0600 AS 10 (Janet's obs. say SC) 1700c partly cloudy on departure 1991 sources: DRH field notebooks JPH field notebook, incl. cloud observation section (excerpts) PCSP weather reports