T-28 Participation in VORTEX, 1995

Overview

The T-28 was deployed for three weeks each at Norman, Ok (May, '95) and Ft. Collins, Col (June, '95). Its mission was to penetrate convective clouds and provide in situ observations of the precipitation particle population in regions simultaneously being scanned by multi-parameter radar.

In Oklahoma the operations were in loose coordination with the Verification of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment (VORTEX), which involved a fleet instrumented vehicles, mobile balloon launchers, and mobile surface and airborne radars. This assemblage was mobilized to intercept tornadic storms in the broad region from southern Kansas to northern Texas. The T-28, however, restricted its activities to within approximately 50 nautical miles of the radar at Cimarron, Ok.

In Colorado the T-28 performed similar service. Flights were confined to an area centered at the CSU-CHILL radar, located northeast of Greeley.

The standard package of instruments provided for the determination of temperature, vertical wind, electric fields, water content, etc. The T-28 carried a PMS 2D-P optical probe in Oklahoma and an HVPS probe in Colorado.

Research Flights

Norman, Oklahoma

Ft. Collins, Colorado

Reports
Summary of T-28 Participation in VORTEX/MIGHT, 1994-95 (Report SDSMT/IAS/R-96-01)

Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment: VORTEX (BAMS Article)

Detwiler, A. G., and Feind, R.E., 1998: Intercomparison of T-28 J-W and King Probe cloud liquid water measurements: VORTEX/MIGHT, May and June 1995. Preprint, Conf. on Cloud Physics and 14th Conf. on Planned and Inadvertent Weather Modification, Everett, WA, Amer. Meteor. Soc., 122-125.

Data Access
VORTEX 1995 Data Access

Other Project Web Pages
VORTEX 1995 Operations Summary

NCAR/EOL VORTEX 1995 Data Archive