WXforum.net

General Weather/Earth Sciences Topics => Earth Sciences => Topic started by: Scalphunter on January 09, 2017, 08:09:35 PM

Title: Yea or nay
Post by: Scalphunter on January 09, 2017, 08:09:35 PM
http://ak-wx.blogspot.com/2014/11/us-record-snowfall.html


What is your opinion of this ?

John
Title: Re: Yea or nay
Post by: ValentineWeather on January 09, 2017, 09:25:57 PM
Very fun and interesting read thanks for sharing.
Its apparent to me observations were sloppy at best (With the NWS staff visit finding weather station in disarray, rain gauge on the ground no middle funnel and thermometer index at bottom of thermometer). Then on the day of unusually big snow no mention about the event is odd.
The NWS had concerns back in the day about quality and lack of readings with other abnormalities like SWE .01 with 4" snow which is impossible, combined with the fact no other station reported a big snow event on the day in question.

I also noticed something that's a big no no for observers. Mr. Lane stated he had a special place where snow board collected most snow for the readings. This is generally in my experience a drift area which explains the 4" with .01 moisture. IMO negates all snowfall records so I'm a big skeptic its accurate.
Title: Re: Yea or nay
Post by: miraculon on January 10, 2017, 08:54:07 AM
I am the only CoCoRaHS observer in my county. We have a NWS Co-op observer less than a mile away from me.

Our observations are reasonably close (when he makes them). There have been circumstances when we get significant snow fall that a member of the "public" has reported a foot of snow, when I measured significantly less than that. It was several inches (I don't remember the exact total), but the "12 inches" was off base. I suspect that some of these "public" observations may be somebody sticking a yardstick into a drift and reporting that.

As far as this Alaska observation goes, you might expect better from a trained observer. I don't know how I would even begin to observe 78" of snow. A ladder and a tape measure? I don't think that I could get out of the house.

I reported a CoCoRaHS observation that looked similarly suspect and the NWS CoCoRaHS coordinator said that he would investigate. Never learned the outcome though.

Greg H.
Title: Re: Yea or nay
Post by: Cutty Sark Sailor on January 10, 2017, 10:26:23 AM
CoCoRaHS has a team of volunteer "readers" in addition to the 'coordinators'. This report would have been 'flagged' within hours / minutes. Note that the 'readers' report any questionable entries directly to a special database, and investigation proceeds from there.
An error could be as "trivial" as "mentioned flurries in comments, but entered zero as Precip total" "Hail in comments, no hail report sent", or "observer consistently submits 'round' figures (.1, .10, 15 etc)" ... Such reports are used as training guidance, or encouragement and rarely 'get back' to the observer, for example... monitoring purposes...mainly. CCR doesn't "harass" it's volunteers, recognizing they are humans, and 'stuff happens'...
The most common errors are simply 'typos', of course, but the teams become familiar with the areas / observers they monitor, and can note a possible issue quickly. Another common 'error' is a report submitted as 'today' when should have been a 'multi-day'. 
The "Readers" make no changes in any reports, simply monitor them. From there any investigation or corrections are usually opaque to the 'reporter' (reader or other observer), with any corrections or action usually entered by CCR HQ, or coordinators in the comments portion of the suspected report. Almost always begins with contact with the reporting station, Obvious typos, etc are usually corrected immediately by coordinator or HQ.
Even 'Readers" will sometimes miss something obvious, so if you catch a suspect report, please let CCR HQ know! They don't mind.
Title: Re: Yea or nay
Post by: Scalphunter on January 10, 2017, 02:55:21 PM
 Well I agreed with you about the poor record keeping. it for darn sure could of been  better and today with computers it is. problem I see with this is he also the foreman of most likely an  5 man crew which means  not only he taking WX reading  but out doing roadwork and maintance. When it snows they stay at the camp and  2 men plowing, 2 sleeping and one cooking and repairs to machinery. Thompson Pass  can get close to 600 inches of snow in an winter as the article mention with the cold interior  air  flowing down to Valdez. I seen lake effect snows off shore there  at sea.
  Now the one thing  that makes me  think it may have happen and that is from  I been thru there several times is what  happen at MP 42. The snow  avalanche. For  that to happen there had to be an fast build up on top of an weak layer. How much of an build up is hard to say cause we don't know what the snow condition were there in the chute.  As to how  he measured the snow it hard to say was it an  survey stick  or like most of us do with an yard stick.   Too bad that they never did  talk to Mr. lane  before he retired and  moved out of state where he passed on.

Randy  thanks for your comment  and also  cutty and miraculon.   Some day  maybe the pieces missing will show up  like an photo.


John