JD: 00-165 DoW: MON/TUE UTC Date: 13JUNE2000

SUMMARY: MCS in Nebraska Blocked by Clouds; Smoke Storm

TLE PREDICTION: 0.35 [0.7 x 0.50]

RESULTS: heard them, could not see them

LESSONS: check out smoke trajectories

PERSONNEL: Lyons, Nelson, Fossum, Nordem, Maria,

STEPS STATUS: STEPS operates

YRFS OPERATION LOGS: FOREST FIRE in Ft. Collins spreads massive smoke pall to the east-northeast (1800+ acres burn). A second fire also burned south of Denver. Large multicellular MCS forms north of STEPS domain and moves into central NE. It had very high percentage up +CGs (70% at times) for many hours (along with hail, mesos and a TVS). Severe T-storm watches issued for western KS and NE. Appears smoke from FNL may have influenced NE storm – smoke clearly seen headed in that direction. Unfortunately dense middle level clouds (and smoke) totally blocked view. Took tape for two hours, but only saw a few cloud flashes. No digital samples.

Blue camera not working. Three quarter moon blocked by clouds.

STEPS OPERATIONS: STEP operates

KEY RESULTS : Was the Nebraska storm influenced by the smoke from Colorado?!

Total TLEs from Yucca Ridge This Campaign: 241

FMA

Red Xybion (A)-Patrol: 1 tapes

Sony TRV900 3CCD: shot TL scenes during day; GEN III TL tapes at night

GEN III unit; TL of smoke during day; TL of clouds at night

JVC KY-19: shoot daytime TL/STEPS Cam (to ESE);

Pulnix CCD: shoot various TL scenes

Photodiode: lens mated to original unit, needs to be tested

Winckler PMT: OK

GPS: OK

WWV Source: OK

VLF Inspire: sampled

ELF N-S: not available

ELF E-W: not available

NLDN Live: OK

NLDN Paper: 7 maps

NLDN Archive: 3 saves

MRC Data Acquisition: OK

FMA Data Acquisition: not available

Thunder Mic: available

LANL Tracker: OK

Red Xybion (B)-Zoom; 1 tapes (in patrol mode)

Red Xybion (C)-Tele: 1 tapes

Blue Xybion(D)-zoom: problems with focus

Mountain Cam: nominal

STEPS Cam: nominal

Shure Mic: OK

NEXRAD Archive: WeatherTap problems

GOES Archive: OK

RUC2 Archive: OK

STANFORD/STAR LAB:

Telescope OK

LLTV OK

ELF/VLF OK

UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY: not present

MIT ELF: problems with vertical antenna?

FUELLEKRUG ELF: operational

ISRAELI ELF: nominal