the Drought Center
My mission in this lab is to train mini- “Heatwaves.” You will look at some local weather data and I will guide you in interpreting this information.
Question 1: Benavides March and May 2001 (30%)
a. Compare humidity versus dew point by looking at plots of the parameters from the month of March. Which type of data tends to vary the most day-to-day? Why?
b. In general, what time of day is the relatively humidity the highest? The lowest?
c. What is the warmest day on average during March and May of 2001 in Benavides? The coldest day? Be sure to give me both the date and the average (mean) temperature during that date. (look at summary data)
d. What was the highest temperature recorded during these months in Benavides? The
coldest? (look at complete data). Be sure to give me both the date and the high or low temperatures during those dates.
e. Compare values of highest relative humidity for the months of March and May.
Specifically, how many days did the temperature drop to the dew point during both of these months? Explain why the number of these days different between March and May?
Question 2: Bruni: February 2001 (40%)
a. In general, without looking at any data, describe in general how temperature varies from day-to-night. (A give-me)
b. What type of weather phenomena (cold front, warm front, high pressure system)
passed through Bruni on February 9 and 10th. Justify your selection!
- Support your interpretation by looking at temperature data. Describe what happens to temperature on these dates.
c. On February 10th the highest temperature was recorded just after midnight.
Explain!
d. Comment on the moisture capacity of the air masses present in Bruni both before
and immediately after February 9th
e. Although, our weather stations do not measure wind direction predict the likely
direction of wind at noon on February 10th in Bruni?
f. What type of weather phenomena is associated February 11 and 12th (cold front,
warm front, high
pressure system). Justify your
selection!
- Was there any precipitation associated with this weather event in Bruni and in other sites of our network?
- Was the rainfall during this day high intensity (>1 in per hour) or low
intensity (<0.1 inch per hour)
- Additionally, how did the relative humidity vary during these dates?
Compare with measurements of relative humidity on February 13 and 14th.
g. What type of weather phenomena is associated February 14th (cold front,
warm front, high pressure system). Justify
your selection!
Question 3: General (February to March; September) (15%)
a. Where their any days with temperatures below freezing at any of the stations in the network. What was the latest day of freezing temperatures at all the stations in the network? (Hint: I would focus just on the February & March data)
b. At the stations that recorded subfreezing weather approximately how long was
the temperature below 32o F.
c. Did any stations receive more that more then 1” of rainfall on a given date during September? What are those dates and list the amount of precipitation received on those dates for each station?
Question 4: Laredo TAMIU May 2001 (15%)
a. How many times did it reach above 100 oF in May? What was the highest high temperature recorded during this month?
b. Describe the variability in average temperatures recorded at this site. Explain this variability (or lack of variability) in the context of whether weather fronts typically make it to south Texas this late in the year.