The lightning program at National Weather Service Pueblo

This poster will discuss the lightning program at NWS Pueblo. The lightning program is divided into 3 sections. The first section is related to short term forecasting using real time lightning data (including severe weather forecasting), the second is related to applied lightning research, while the third section is educating our users about lightning safety. The first section will be stressed in this presentation.

1. ) Short term forecasting

NWS Pueblo has the responsibility of forecasting the weather over a large, diverse geographical region. The forecast area ranges from the Plains of southern Colorado to the mountainous regions of central and southern Colorado. Although radar coverage is fairly good over the Plains, radar data is very limited over high mountainous terrain.

With the advent of the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System within the NWS, real time lightning data is available to the operational forecaster. This data can be observed in 1 hour increments, 15 minute increments, 5 minute increments and a 1 minute lightning sequence. This data can be time lapsed and overlaid with a variety of other meteorological data.

This poster will show cases in where lightning data, along with the other AWIPS data sources, was directly used in forecasting severe thunderstorm development. Although radar data is limited over the higher terrain, the detection of CG lightning data over higher terrain shows little degradation. At this time, 3 severe weather cases over and near higher terrain have been documented. Each case will discuss the reasoning for the short term severe weather forecast, the AWIPS products used, and the actual NWS text products which were issued. It is likely that numerous other cases will be attained prior to this conference.

Other short term applications of lightning data include winter weather forecasting and fire weather forecasting. Examples of the use of this data regarding the above will be shown.

2. Applied Research

A detailed climatological study of lightning in Colorado is underway between NWS Pueblo and Colorado State University/CIRA. The primary findings of this research will be presented at this conference under a different title, and only a brief discussion will be shown on this poster.

3. Lightning Safety

The Colorado Lighting Resource Center; a thorough web-based document which discusses all aspects of lightning in Colorado, will be presented. Other lightning safety projects which NWS Pueblo are directly involved in will also be shown. One of these projects is the NWS "lightning safety magnets". Over 5000 of these magnets were distributed at the 1999 Colorado State Fair and to other lightning safety personnel across the country. It is planned that additional lightning safety material will be developed between NWS Pueblo and the lightning community, and distributed to the public to enhance lightning safety.