Monitoring the Weather and Monitoring the Weather and Climate of ColoradoClimate of Colorado
Nolan Nolan DoeskenDoeskenColorado Climate CenterAtmospheric Science Department
Presented to Gamma Sigma Delta Seminar Series, September 28, 2005, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
Prepared by Odie Bliss
What is the Colorado Climate Center?
StaffRoger A. Pielke, Sr.Professor, Atmospheric Science and State Climatologist, [email protected]
Nolan J. DoeskenClimatologist and Senior Research Associate, [email protected]
Odie BlissCoordinator, [email protected]
MissionThe Colorado Climate Center was established by the state in 1974, through the Colorado State University Agricultural Experiment Station, to provide information and expertise on Colorado’s complex climate. Through its threefold program of Climate Monitoring (data acquisition, analysis, and archiving), Climate Research and Climate Services, the Center is responding to many climate related questions and problems affecting the state today.
What Does It Mean To
“Monitor”?
Fort Collins campus weather stationElements: temperature, precipitation, snow, wind, solar, evaporation, soil temperatures, humidity, cloud cover
Fort Collins Historic Weather Station –Continuous observations from 1889 to present
Fort Collins Yearly Precipitation
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
1889
1893
1897
1901
1905
1909
1913
1917
1921
1925
1929
1933
1937
1941
1945
1949
1953
1957
1961
1965
1969
1973
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
Year
ly P
reci
pita
tion
(inch
es)
2005 totaled for Jan-Sep
National Weather Service Cooperative Weather Stations
Cooperative Weather Stations
in Colorado
Typical Cooperative Weather Station
NCDC’sClimatological Data publication for Colorado
Colorado Average Annual Precipitation Map
National Weather Service Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS)
Denver International Airport ASOS, Photo courtesy of the National Weather Service
Example F-6 form from Denver Intl Airport for July 2005
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/den/cli/climo.php
CoAgMetWeather Data for Agriculture
Automated weather stations with daily and hourly readings of:
TemperatureHumidityWindPrecipitationSolar energyEvapotranspiration
http://www.coagmet.com
Center, Colo., CoAgMet Daily Valuesof Temperature and Solar Radiation
Burlington South
USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service
NRCS Snotel Sites for Colorado
Typical NRCS Snotel Site
NRCS Streamflow Forecast
http://www.co.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/watersupply/
Snotel Data WY2005
U.S. Geological Survey
http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch/
Other Data SourcesRAWS (Remote Automated Weather Stations)
Storm King RAWS
http://www.fs.fed.us/raws/
School Weather Stations
Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT)
Urban Drainage and Flood Control District (UDFCD) ALERT system
New ALERT weather station & stream gauge on Marston Lake North Drainageway.
What Is Our Current Status?
Colorado Temperature DeparturesWater Year 2005
-4.0
-2.0
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
Dep
artu
re (D
egre
es F
ahre
nhei
t)
Eastern Plains Foothills Mountains Western Valleys
Division 2 – Grand JunctionGrand Junction WSFO
2005 Water Year
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
OCT
NOV
DEC
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
Months
Acc
umul
ated
Pre
cipi
tatio
n (In
ches
)
30 Year Averages-1971-2000 Max Year - 1929 Min Year - 1956
Period of Record Average - 1893- 2002 2005 Water Year Accumulated 2002 Water Year Accumulated
Division 3 – Mesa VerdeMesa Verde NP2005 Water Year
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP
Months
Acc
umul
ated
Pre
cipi
tatio
n (In
ches
)
30 Year Averages-1971-2000 Max Year - 1941 Min Year - 1977
Period of Record Average - 1893- 2002 2005 Water Year Accumulated 2002 Water Year
Division 6 - Rocky FordRocky Ford
2005 Water Year
0
5
10
15
20
25
OCT
NOV
DEC
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
Months
Acc
umul
ated
Pre
cipi
tatio
n (In
ches
)
30 Year Averages-1971-2000 Max Year - 1999 Min Year - 2002
Period of Record Average - 1889-2002 2005 Water Year Accumulated
Division 7 – BurlingtonBurlington
2005 Water Year
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP
Months
Acc
umul
ated
Pre
cipi
tatio
n (In
ches
)
30 Year Averages-1971-2000 Max Year - 1915 Min Year - 1954Period of Record Average - 1892-2002 2005 Water Year 2002 Water Year Accumulated
Division 7 – AkronAkron 4E
2005 Water Year
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
OCT
NOV
DEC
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
Months
Acc
umul
ated
Pre
cipi
tatio
n (In
ches
)
30 Year Averages-1971-2000 Max Year - 1915 Min Year - 2002
Period of Record Average - 1906 - 2002 2005 Water Year Accumulated
Division 8 – Fort CollinsFort Collins
2005 Water Year
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
OCTNOV
DECJA
NFEB
MARAPR
MAYJU
NJU
LAUG
SEP
Month
Acc
umul
ated
Pre
cipi
tatio
n (in
ches
)
30 Year Averages-1971-2000 Max Year - 1961 Min Year - 1966
Period of Record Average - 1890 - 2002 2005 Water Year 2002 WY
WY 2005 precipitation
Current Conditions Compared to Recent
Years
1999 Water Year Precipitation
2000 Water Year Precipitation
2001 Water Year Precipitation
2002 Water Year Precipitation
2003 Water Year Precipitation
2004 Water Year Precipitation
2005 Water Year Precipitation
Drought Monitor – Sep 20, 2005
Drought Monitor – Sep 21, 2004
Drought Monitor – Sep 23, 2003
Drought Monitor – Sep 17, 2002
Drought Monitor – Sep 18, 2001
Drought Monitor – Sep 19, 2000
Drought Monitor – Sep 21, 1999
http://www.co.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/watersupply/
Colorado Reservoir Storage
Provisional Data Provided by NRCS
Colorado Statewide Reservoir Levels on October 1stfor Years 1997- 2004 and Sep 1, 2005
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Oct 1.
1997
Oct 1.
1998
Oct 1.
1999
Oct 1.
2000
Oct 1.
2001
Oct 1.
2002
Oct 1.
2003
Oct 1.
2004
Sep 1.
2005
Perc
ent o
f Ave
rage
Longer Term Perspective
Fort Collins Water Year Precipitation Total for Summer and Winter,1890-2005
Fort Collins Water Year Precipitation Totals
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
1890
1894
1898
1902
1906
1910
1914
1918
1922
1926
1930
1934
1938
1942
1946
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
Year
Prec
ipita
tion
(inch
es)
Oct-Mar Winter Apr-Sep Summer
Colorado average summer (Jun-Aug) temperature, 1895-2005
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/cag3/co.html
Colorado Statewide Average Summer (Jun-Aug) Temperature
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
1895
1900
1905
1910
1915
1920
1925
1930
1935
1940
1945
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
Tem
pera
ture
(deg
F)
Temperature Average Temperature
Colorado average winter (Dec-Feb) temperature, 1895-2005
Colorado Statewide Average Winter (Dec-Feb) Temperature
1934
1979
17
19
21
23
25
27
29
31
33
1895
1900
1905
1910
1915
1920
1925
1930
1935
1940
1945
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
Tem
pera
tuur
e (d
eg F
)
Temperature Average Temperature
How can we gather more data without breaking the bank??
Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network
The Origin of CoCoRaHSThe Fort Collins Flood of July 28, 1997
What is CoCoRaHS?CoCoRaHS is a unique, non-profit community based network of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds working together to measure and map precipitation (rain, hail and snow).
CoCoRaHS: Simple tools to study rain
Rain Gauge Example Station
CoCo RaHS Gauge in March 2003 Snowstorm
Arapahoe County CoCo RaHS observer near Cherry Creek, Colorado
CoCoRaHS: : Simple Tools to Study Hail
Hail PadDamaged Hail Pad
Example Hail Pad Stands
CoCoRaHS -- Supplementing NWS Cooperative Program to Improve Precipitation Measurements.
Fort Collins Daily Rainfall Examples
Colorado 9/22/2005
Kit Carson County, 8/23/2005
Colorado HailstormJuly 10, 2002, Parker, CO
Expanded Hail Information from Web Site
How many volunteers do we need?How many volunteers do we need?
Our goal is at least one per square mile over urbanized areas.As many as we can find in rural areas.
Participating CoCoRaHS States
For More Information, Visit the CoCoRaHS Web Site
Support for this project provided by Informal Science Education Program,National Science Foundationandmany local charter sponsors.
http://www.cocorahs.org
Colorado Climate CenterData and Power Point Presentations available for downloading
http://ccc.atmos.colostate.educlick on “Drought” then click on “Presentations”