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National Weather Service |
Assess the Local Climatology for Fog and other Low-Altitude
Clouds,
including the Influence of Soil Moisture and Water
Temperature
Assessing climatology is the initial step in the determination of fog and stratus potential. Climatology identifies both the time period and areas where fog or stratus is favorable, and can be applied on all scales (i.e., from the hemispheric to the mesoscale).
In order to accurately assess the potential for low visibility and ceiling conditions, an understanding of the local climatolology of these conditions must be attained.
The forecaster must understand the typical regional and local frequency and duration of fog and low cloud scenarios in order to improve forecasts of these events, including seasonal climatology of fog and low clouds.
1. Determine the frequency of fog and low cloud scenarios for your local area (or area of interest), including the typical duration of these events and how severely ceiling and visibility are impacted.
2. Determine the soil moisture and temperature climatology for your local area (or area of interest), and how it relates to the fog and low cloud climatology.
3. Determine the water temperature (if applicable) climatology for your local area (or area of interest), and how it relates to the fog and low cloud climatology.
Instructional Component 1.1: Station-led training: Local (or area of interest) climatology of fog (including sea fog), stratus, soil moisture and temperature, and water temperature, and the climatological relationship between low-level moisture and low clouds. This should include coverage of operational and climatological sources of soil moisture and temperature data.
Instructional Component 1.2: Performance support template for indexing and accessing local climatological data.
Instructional Component 1.3: Wind stratified conditional climatology tables and their usage (available for Air Force bases).
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