SPRITES'97 Colorado Sprite Campaign

UTC Dates with Imaged Sprites

Click HERE for Daily Operational Notes

JD

DOW

DATE

OPERATIONS

FCST

OBSVD

NOTES

177

W/T

26JUN97

Limited Tests

None

1

Test Xybions; 1 micro sprite over Boulder Hailstorm

182

M/T

01JUL97

Limited Tests

Yes

~ 25

Test Xybions, PMT; elves and sprites to east

183

T/W

02JUL97

Limited Tests

None

n/a

Tested Systems; no storms within 1000 km

184

W/T

03JUL97

Limited Tests

None

0

Tested Systems; no data taken

185

T/F

04JUL97

Limited Tests

None

n/a

Tested Systems

186

F/S

05JUL97

Limited Tests

None

n/a

Tested Systems

187

S/S

06JUL97

Limited Tests

Y(cl?)

n/a

Tested Systems

188

S/M

07JUL97

Tests

Y(cl?)

1

Squall line ND & SD-mostly blocked by clouds, TU saw one (no tape)

189

M/T

08JUL97

No

Storms

n/a

Obtained excellent video of +CGs and spiders

190

T/W

09JUL97

Yes

Yes

22

3 MCS in NE & KS; bright sprites from small, late stage MCS, Some Blue ones

191

W/T

10JUL97

No

No

n/a

Just no storms close enough to do anything

192

T/F

11JUL97

Yes

Maybe

38

Rather small NE supercell to MCS produces sprites; No blue?

193

F/S

12JUL97

Yes

Yes

8

Very large MCS from NE to ND-a few sprites seen when clouds go; Earle in RI

194

S/S

13JUL97

Yes

Yes

57

Watched MCS in NE through clouds all night; near field storm also

195

S/M

14JUL97

No

No

n/a

MCS in eastern KS too far away

196

M/T

15JUL97

No

No

n/a

Except for some local CGs, not much happening

197

T/W

16JUL97

Yes

Yes

14

Small MCS in KS produces most sprites in decaying phase

198

W/T

17JUL97

No

n/a

n/a

No operations

199

T/F

18JUL97

Limited

clouds

1

Squall line in ND, barely could see through low clouds; recycled tapes

200

F/S

19JUL97

Yes

Yes

40 est

Nice bow echo in SD; PSU and TU get nice data

201

S/S

20JUL97

Yes

Yes

10 est

Storms in ND made many sprites, but KS storm fizzled

202

S/M

21JUL97

Yes

Yes

34

MCS moves from WY into SD, viewed until dawn

203

M/T

22JUL97

No

No

n/a

Storm overhead, -CGs only (good video), but no targets over the plains

204

T/W

23JUL97

Yes

Clouds

n/a

Small MCS in NE was borderline, but monsoon clouds blocked view

205

W/T

24JUL97

No

Clouds

n/a

Local storms blocked view of nice MCS in Nebraska

206

T/F

25JUL97

Yes

Yes

1

Smaller storm in NE made 1 sprite (EOSO?); close CGs shot with PMT

207

F/S

26JUL97

Yes

Yes

2

Linear MCS decays slowly; saw 2 sprites in dying stage; other storms too small

208

S/S

27JUL97

Limited

Yes?

4

Saw EOSO sprites from smaller storms through break in clouds

209

S/M

28JUL97

No

n/a

n/a

Clouds and Rain block view of large MCS in Kansas

210

M/T

29JUL97

No

n/a

n/a

Torrential rains and all day clouds from upslope - no operations possible

211

T/W

30JUL97

No

n/a

n/a

More clouds and rain prevent operations

212

W/T

31JUL97

Yes

Yes

4

Got enough breaks to see several EOSO sprites in Nebraska MCS

213 T/F 01AUG97 Yes Yes 20 Saw sprites from modest MCS in NE through clouds at 300-500 km; some blues
214 F/S 02AUG97 Yes Yes 31 Good sprites 450-500 km; many PMT shots; all systems go
215 S/S 03AUG97 Yes Yes 21 Elves and sprites in KS-but seen through smoke; MIT PMT of close CGs also
216 S/M 04AUG97 Limited No No Local storms; Some CG PMT measurements before emergency shut down
217 S/T 05AUG97 No n/a n/a Dense clouds prevent observations
218 T/W 06AUG97 No n/a n/a Dense clouds and rain prevent observations
219 W/T 07AUG97 No n/a n/a Dense clouds and lack of target storms
220 T/F 08AUG97 No n/a n/a clouds, no targets
221 F/S 09AUG97 Yes Yes 4? No sprites-but maybe some elves from SD frontal storms
222 S/S 10AUG97 No n/a n/a Rain and dense clouds
223 S/M 11AUG97 No n/a n/a Rain, fog and dense clouds block targets
224 M/T 12AUG97 Yes Yes 36 Super Bow Echo in Panhandle-but TLEs few until >08Z and too far away
225 T/W 13AUG97 No n/a n/a Clouds
226 W/T 14AUG97 No n/a n/a Clouds
227 T/F 15AUG97 No n/a n/a No targets in area; set up MRC PMTs; NMT shot sprites from Mexican storms
228 F/S 16AUG97 No n/a n/a Clouds and rain
229 S/S 17AUG97 Yes Yes 24 YR and NMT both watch; PSU gets VHF returns; clouds block much of storm
230 S/M 18AUG97 Yes clouds n/a Thin clouds blocked view; MIT PMT used on CGs at 100-175 km
231 M/T 19AUG97 Yes Yes 12+ Sprites in SD (PMT data) and in KS-OK (NMT takes video)
232 T/W 20AUG97 Limited No No MIT PMT records of -CGs in nearby small storm
233 W/T 21AUG97 No No n/a No targets within 500 km; NMT worked storms in TX and Mexico
234 T/F 22AUG97 Yes Yes 28 Large MCS in NE-KS; sprites seen through clouds, moonlight
235 F/S 23AUG97 Yes No 0 Shot PMTs of CGs and ICs at 250-350 km
238 M/T 26AUG97 Yes No 0 Shot PMTs of CGs 100-175 km to south; video of 10 km CGs late
239 T/W 27AUG97 Yes Yes 9+ Some close in sprites, elves thru clouds; some good PMT results
240 W/T 28AUG97 Limited Yes 5 Saw some sprites at 800 km from Montana MCS
241 T/F 29AUG97 Limited Yes 16 Small sprites in from NE storm; PMTs of CGs
242 F/S 30AUG97 Yes Yes 5 Ocn'l sprites thru clouds from NE storms, PMTs of CGs
258 M/T 15SEP97 Limited Yes 0 MCS in KS with many +CGs, almost big enuf, but no TLEs
285 S/S 12OCT97 Limited Yes 28 Tornadic squall line - NM to ND; saw few blue sprites when clouds cleared

SD=South Dakota ND = North Dakota WY = Wymoing KS = Kansas NE = Nebraska EOSO = end of storm

For more information on the Sprites Campaigns from YRFS, contact
Dr. Walter A. Lyons, FMA Research, Inc.
This file last updates on 3-17-98.