Is there a latitudinal dependency in the timing of the diurnal stability transitions? The Stability Transition Forecast Model has worked successfully in mid-latitude desert sites under the ideal weather scenarios of clear skies, low winds and low humidity. The seasonal influence on the depth of the local temperature inversion(s) holds a major impact on the stability transition timing. What if the mid-latitude model algorithms were recalculated using data from an equivalent high latitude desert site? How would they differ? These are some of the many questions we hope to answer from the ongoing field study being conducted in Barrow Alaska. Near-surface, 24 hrs, 7 days/week atmospheric optical turbulence measurements are scheduled for acquisition between 2004 Oct and 2005 Sep. The University Partnering for Operational Support [UPOS] joins the efforts of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, the Army Research Laboratory and the North Slope of Alaska-Atmospheric Radiation Measurements Climate Research Facility. This presentation briefly explains the foundational study, the field test plan and the current findings of this 12-month study