Coop-Modernization in AL

John R. ChristyState Climatologist

University of Alabama in HuntsvilleNWS HUN, BHM, MOB

Christy 2002

Christy 2002

Why did Athens warm up by 1.5°C in 1995?

No one knows.

Russellville: Find the Thermometer

Russellville: Find the Thermometer

No. Alabama Summer Temperature

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

4

1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

USHCNv1UAH

Christy 2002 (updated through 2006)

Mean TemperatureSoutheast USA 1899-2003

-0.06

-0.04

-0.02

0.00

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.10

0.12

0.14

Observations BCM CCMA CCMA_T63 CSIRO GFDL_0 GFDL_1 IPSL MIROC3 MPI MRI

ModelsObservation

For high resolution monitoring of Precipitation:

2000+ spatial Degrees of Freedom?

IDEAL: 1500 in AL?

Station siting for applications on radar/satellite calibration, temperature distribution (i.e. chill hours, Tmin etc.), drought monitoring, soil moisture calibration, etc.

COOP-modernization

Goal initially was to put a station in every 20x20 mile grid box = ~150 stations in AL.

New goal is to replace HCN stations (about 1200 US, 15 AL) around the country

30

31

32

33

34

35

-89 -88 -87 -86 -85

County CRN Operating HCN

Automated Stations CRN, HCN

30

31

32

33

34

35

-89 -88 -87 -86 -85

County HCN

Unautomated HCN

Establishing CRN Stations

• NCDC performs Site survey/site selection, installation etc.

• About $50K per station• 3 stations funded over 2 years• Auburn Agricultural Experiment

Stations best siting solution• 1 NE Highlands, 1 Blackbelt

plains, 1 near coast

Installed Pair (14)

Installed Single (59)

Partner sites (3 in AL)

USCRN CONUS Deployments

+ 4 in Alaska and 2 in Hawaii+ 4 in Alaska and 2 in Hawaii

AL Gadsden 19 N, Sand Mountain Research Extension (Northwest Pasture)AL Gadsden 19 N, Sand Mountain Research Extension (Northwest Pasture)34.3 N 96.0 W 1160’’

April 14, 2005

AL Selma 13 WNW, Auburn University (Black Belt Research and Extension Center)AL Selma 13 WNW, Auburn University (Black Belt Research and Extension Center)32.5 N 87.2 W 204’’

May 26, 2005

30

31

32

33

34

35

-89 -88 -87 -86 -85

County CRN Operating

HCN COOP-M Operating

COOP-M Planned

HCN, CRN, COOP-M

30

31

32

33

34

35

-89 -88 -87 -86 -85

County CRN Operating

HCN COOP-M Operating

COOP-M Planned ASOS

AWIS

HCN, CRN, COOP-M, ASOS, AWIS

ALABAMA HCNCOOP ID DV STN NAME COUNTY HPD M D YEAR MODERNIZATION STATUS

011084 7 BREWTON 3SSE ESCAMBIA 12 1 1890

012813 8 FAIRHOPE 2NE BALDWIN 2 2 1918

013160 6 GAINSVILLE LOCK & DAM

GREEN 2 1 1893

013511 6 GREENSBORO HALE 1 1 1855

013816 7 HIGHLAND HOME CRENSHAW 5 1 1892

015749 1 MUSCLE SHOALS FAA AP

COLBERT 2 15 1939

017157 2 ST BERNARD CULLMAN 8 1 1907

017304 2 SCOTTSBORO JACKSON 4 1 1882

017366 6 SELMA DALLAS 1 1 1858

018024 4 TALLADEGA TALLADEGA 11 1 1887

018178 7 THOMASVILLE CLARKE Y 9 1 1891

018323 7 TROY PIKE Y 1 1 1872

018380 3 TUSCALOOSA ACFD

TUSCALOOSA 1 1 1854

018438 6 UNION SPRINGS 9S

BULLOCK 10 1 1867

018469 2 VALLEY HEAD DEKALB 6 1 1885

ALABAMA HCN/COOP-MCOOP ID DV STN NAME COUNTY HPD M D YEAR MODERNIZATION STATUS

011084 7 BREWTON 3SSE ESCAMBIA 12 1 1890 CRN-LITE (AUBURN AG, 2007)

012813 8 FAIRHOPE 2NE BALDWIN 2 2 1918 CRN (AUBURN AG)

013160 6 GAINSVILLE LOCK & DAM

GREEN 2 1 1893 CRN-LITE (SAME SITE, 2007)

013511 6 GREENSBORO HALE 1 1 1855 CRN-LITE (2007)

013816 7 HIGHLAND HOME CRENSHAW 5 1 1892 PENDING FOR CRN-LITE

015749 1 MUSCLE SHOALS FAA AP

COLBERT 2 15 1939 CRN-LITE (TVA LOCATION, 2007)

017157 2 ST BERNARD CULLMAN 8 1 1907 CRN-LITE (AUBURN AG, 2006)

017304 2 SCOTTSBORO JACKSON 4 1 1882 CRN-LITE (AIRPORT, 2006)

017366 6 SELMA DALLAS 1 1 1858 CRN-LITE (AIRPORT, 2007)

018024 4 TALLADEGA TALLADEGA 11 1 1887 PENDING CRN-LITE

018178 7 THOMASVILLE CLARKE Y 9 1 1891 PENDING CRN-LITE

018323 7 TROY PIKE Y 1 1 1872 PENDING CRN-LITE

018380 3 TUSCALOOSA ACFD

TUSCALOOSA 1 1 1854 PENDING CRN-LITE

018438 6 UNION SPRINGS 9S

BULLOCK 10 1 1867 PENDING CRN-LITE

018469 2 VALLEY HEAD DEKALB 6 1 1885 CRN-LITE (WATERWORKS, 2006)

ALABAMA COOP TO HCN

COOP ID DV STN NAME COUNTY HPD M D YEAR MODERNIZATION STATUS

3 CLANTON CHILTON 3 14 2007 CRN-LITE (AIRPORT)

1 COURTLAND LAWRENCE 5 4 2006 CRN-LITE (AIRPORT)

2 GUNTERSVILLE MARSHALL 5 4 2006 CRN-LITE (SAME SITE)

1 RUSSELLVILLE FRANKLIN 8 15 2006 CRN-LITE (AIRPORT)

013159 2 GADSDEN 19NW DEKALB 4 14 2005 CRN (AUBURN AG)

HCN 8 FAIRHOPE 2NE BALDWIN 7 13 2006 CRN (AUBURN AG)

6 SELMA 13WNW DALLAS 5 26 2005 CRN (AUBURN AG)

Establishing COOP-M, HCN Stations

• Funding from congressional appropriation FY05: 2 CRN, 7 CRN-Lite

• Desire for stations that meet federal standards for operations and climate

• COOP-M Site selection committee NWS/HQ, NWS/SR, NWS/WFO, NCDC, SC, others

• Selected equipment utilized by CRN network, dubbing the stations as “CRN-Lite” - Geonor gauge and triple-platinum resistor thermisters, NIST calibrated, double aspirated. Wind at some sites.

Establishing COOP-M, HCN Stations

• Site survey/site selection are 99% of the effort

• AL situation: NWS personnel performed surveys (about 10 per WFO)

• Repeat surveys are the norm• USHCN stations are priority for COOP-M• What about the COOP station number?

Should be different from old HCN for overlap studies and archiving of simultaneous data

Establishing COOP-M, HCN Stations

• FY06 appropriation for 1 additional CRN ~45K (Gulf-Coast) and 7 COOP-M (~$25K each)

• 11 COOP-M and 3 CRN now operating• 2 sites approved, 5 more to finish the

15 HCN stations• 4 new COOP-M commissioned as HCN

and 2 new CRN expand original HCN network in Alabama from 15 to 21

Valley Head HCNBackyard Station

High-risk reduction precipitation gauge in small wind shield

Selected other instruments are added to this climatemonitoring station as needed

Data logger & power controlOne ventilated

radiation shield containing three

high-precision temperature sensors

Satellite Communications

New Historical Climatology Network Station for Regional-Level Climate Monitoring (Valleyhead, Northern Alabama)

Wetness sensor

Scottsboro Before:Radio Station

Scottsboro After:Municipal Airport

Russellville Before

Russellville After:Municipal Airport

0.53.°

°°

°°

°

°°

°

°°

°

°

°

°

0.36

0.47

1.18

0.050.06

0.530.33 0.04

0.01

0.090.01

0.62

0.17

June 1-12, 2007 Total Precipitation (Inches).

° USCRN Stations

° HCN-M Stations

°0.73

°

0.02

0.41°

87 (90)°

°°

°°

°

°°

°

°°

°

°

°

°

91 (98)

90 (98)

90 (95)

92 (98)95 (101)

94 (100)93 (100) 94 (99)

87 (91)

89 (92)89 (93)

89 (92)

89 (93)

June 1-12, 2007 Average Max Temps °F and (12 Day Max).

° USCRN Stations

° HCN-M Stations

°90 (98)

°

89 (93)

90 (93)°

22 46°°

°

°°

°

°

°

°

°°

°

°

°

°

29 6

30 3

37

30 2 31 131 1

31 233

24 19

29 9

23 3125 21

23 33

26 22 ° 27 15

April 7-10, 2007 Event Minimum Temperature °F, and Number of Hours Temperature < 32° .

° USCRN Station

° HCN Station

25 15

23 18

° °°

26 14

30 5°

N Alabama / SE Tennessee Apr 5, 2007 (Before freeze)

Courtesy Dr. Mike Helfert NCDC

AL

TN

GA

DEC

HSV

N Alabama / SE Tennessee April 8, 2007 (After Freeze)

Courtesy Dr. Mike Helfert NCDC

AL

GA

TN

DEC

HSV

Future Plans

• If money request comes through:

• Add 5 more stations, 2 in TN• Expand current stations with

humidity, soil moisture, wind • Begin data analysis and

overlap comparisons for homogenization effort

Scottsboro

Russellville

Courtland