Links
Overview
Science Plan
A day in the life of a CLEX researcher
Forecasting Page
Satellite Overpasses
Contact Information
List of CLEX publications

Related Links
Previous Cloud Layer EXperiments
The Canadian CloudSat/CALIPSO Validation Project (C3VP)
CloudSat
CALIPSO
Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA)
Colorado State University Department of Atmospheric Science

Daily Summary for 24 January 2007

Quick links:

Weather Summary — Flight Summary — Satellite Images — Surface Observations — Model Analyses — Radiosonde Soundings

Weather Summary

A cold front passed over southern Ontario overnight, and stalled out over Lake Ontario and extreme southwestern Ontario. Mid-level clouds could be seen on the horizon all day from CARE, but overhead there was nothing but patchy cirrus. Near sunset, a band of mid-level clouds moved over CARE, but by then it was too late.

Pictures taken by Curtis Seaman from CARE:

~10:00 LT

~11:00 LT

~13:00 LT (i.e. during aircraft operations)

Click here for the CARE operations summary. (Word Document)

Flight Summary

The flight targeted the ~13:30 LT CloudSat overpass near CARE. The patchy cirrus made for an ideal day from a lidar (i.e. CALIPSO validation) perspective, but it was disappointing from a CLEX perspective. The mid-level clouds stayed just out of range of the Convair during the overpass. They of course returned over CARE after the plane had already landed.

Below is a MODIS IR image and CloudSat swath during the aircraft operations.

Satellite Images

GOES-12 IR courtesy of RAP @ UCAR

GOES-12 Visible (during daylight hours) and Near IR (night) albedo from CIRA.

GOES-12 IR (10.7 µm) brightness temperature from CIRA. The color scale begins at 0 °C with an increment of -10 °C between color changes.

GOES-12 experimental cloud phase from CIRA. Blue represents ice particles, red is liquid droplets above freezing and yellow represents supercooled liquid droplets. Gray areas are clear (no cloud) based on an IR cloud mask.