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Characteristics Of Western Region Flash Flood Events In Goes Imagery And Conventional Data, United States Department Of Commerce, National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration

Water

This memorandum presents characteristics of western region convective and extratropical cyclone flash flood events as observed in (VIS and IR) GOES imagery, and conventional surface and upper air data. One hundred and thirty-seven convective heavy rainfall events from 1981 through 1983 were examined and categorized into time of year, time of day of maximum precipitation, minimum cloud top temperature at time of maximum precipitation, and type of satellite observed convective system. Detailed analyses of conventional data for the largest flash flood producing mesoscale convective systems (MCS's) yielded four distinct atmospheric patterns at the surface, 700, and 500 mb levels. Twenty-four …