It’s All About the Snow In the Basin! (days with Uintah Basin snow coverage determined from MODIS)

It’s All About the Snow In the Basin!(days with Uintah Basin snow coverage determined from MODIS)

Mid-February 2011. Vernal -9.0 ⁰C (-5.0)Salt Lake City 1.0 ⁰C (-0.5)700 mb (-2.0)Peak ozone 139 ppbSnow days 28

Mid-February 2012. Vernal -0.5 ⁰C (+2.5)Salt Lake City 3.0 ⁰C (+1.5)700 mb (-1.5)Peak ozone 63 ppbSnow days 0

Mid-February 2009. Vernal -2.0 ⁰C (+2.0)Salt Lake City 2.5 ⁰C (+1.0)700 mb (+0.50)Snow days 5

Mid-February 2010. Vernal -8.0 ⁰C ( -4.0)Salt Lake City 2.5 ⁰C (+1.0)700 mb (-1.0)Peak ozone 124 ppb Snow days 28

Mid-February 2013. Vernal -8.5 ⁰C (-4.5)Salt Lake City -1.7 ⁰C (-3.0)700 mb (-2.5)Peak ozone 150 ppbSnow days 28

Max and Min Temperature Climo for SLC (red) and Ouray (blue) 1981-2010

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

Series1Series2Series3Series4

•Both basins climos show ‘cold pools’ resulting in colder December-February average temperatures than would be the case at mid-slope locations.

•The ‘cold pool’ climatology is colder in Ouray than SLC during the Dec-Feb periodwith nocturnal inversions particularly stronger

•Hypothsized cause the longer duration of Uintah Basin CAPs and associated snow cover

Jan Feb Mar Apr DecNovOctSepMay Jun Jul Aug

Max temp

Min tempTem

p C⁰

Is there an East-West Interbasin Flow Resulting From Snow -‘Less’ West Slope or Dynamic Downslope Effects?

Typical snow-free downslope zone

Landsat 30 Jan 2009

16 Feb 2011