It appears as though we should have KNKX upperair soundings and doppler
radar back on-line within the next week or so (see below). That is good news.
I could say that we here have been extremely lucky. With only moderate
damage to the NWS facilities and, with the exception of some damage at
animal research sites located not far from the NWS sites (facilities only,
none of the animals were hurt), no damage at UCSD. I could say that,
except that 20 people are dead and something over 2500 homes
destroyed. And the fires aren't out yet.
My son, a firefighter-engineer with the state, has been fighting the San
Bernardino area fires since last Saturday. He was told to expect his crew
to remain in the Cucamonga-Lake Arrowhead-Big Bear area for the next ten
days to two weeks. The fires are definitely not out yet.
My house came through completely undamaged (except for a layer of ash all
over the place). "May you live in interesting times."
Larry
...UPDATE ON UPPER AIR OBSERVATIONS AND SAN DIEGO DOPPLER RADAR...
ELECTRONICS TECHNICIANS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAVE
COMPLETED A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF FIRE DAMAGE TO BOTH THE SAN
DIEGO UPPER AIR AND RADAR SITES.
ALTHOUGH THE UPPER AIR INFLATION BUILDING IS STILL STANDING IT WILL
NEED TO BE CHECKED FURTHER FOR SAFETY. AN EQUIPMENT TRAILER
CONTAINING COMPUTERS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN DESTROYED.
PLANS ARE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY TO BRING IN AN EMERGENCY REPLACEMENT
UPPER AIR SYSTEM. IN THE MEANTIME REPLACEMENT UPPER AIR MEASUREMENTS
WILL BE MADE AT EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE. THESE WILL BE AVAILABLE
AFTER THE 00Z AND 12Z DATA TIMES UNDER AWIPS HEADERS LAXMANEDW (WMO
HEADER USUS60 KEDW), AND LAXSGLEDW (WMO HEADER UKUS50 KEDW).
AN ASSESSMENT OF THE WSR-88D DOPPLER RADAR HAS BEEN COMPLETED AS
WELL. THE DOPPLER RADAR APPEARS TO HAVE ESCAPED ANY SIGNIFICANT
DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF THE FIRE. HOWEVER THE DATA LINES AND
ELECTRICAL LINES TO THE SITE HAVE BEEN DESTROYED. IT IS ESTIMATED
THAT THESE LINES WILL BE RESTORED AND DATA WILL ONCE AGAIN BE
AVAILABLE FROM THE RADAR IN SIX TO EIGHT DAYS.
---===---=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=====[\/]=====-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=---===---
-----===(* Climate's what we expect, but weather's what we
get. *)===-----
Larry Riddle : Climate Research Division : Scripps Institution of
Oceanography
University of California, San Diego : La Jolla, California 92093-0224
Phone: (858) 534-1869 : Fax: (858) 534-8561 : E-Mail: lriddle@xxxxxxxx
