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Show T L'lNTAH BASIN STANDARD . Ausum 17. Meteorologist provides insight into unique Uintah Basin weather The fallowing information woo submitted to The Uintah Basin Stan dard by Karl Shuler. Ur. Shisler is a Roosevelt native who obtained a degree in meteorology from UCLA and worked in Los Angles and New York as a meteorologist for American Airlines before forming a consulting firm to provide meteorological services for offshore oil companies He now nodes in Ballard where he ranches and still does some consulting work. He finds the weather of the Uintah Basin to be "very unique and compiled the following information for local irrigation companies to help them address the need for water storage in the Lake Fork -- River drainage across to the Whiterocks River drainage. By Karl Shisler One cl the most interesting aspects of being a resident of the Uintah Basin is watching and understanding the changing weather patterns which affect this area. "Rain Shadow" The Uintah Basin is geographically located in a Vain shadow caused by the existence of the Wasatch Mountains to the west A rain shadow is a meteorological term that denotes a land area which is deficient in precipitation because it is located on the leeward side of a mountain range. The wind ward side of the mountain range has caused the prevailing air cunwnta to be lifted orographically and a large amount of the moisture extracted as precipitation. The extent and severity of the rain shadow on the leeward side of mountain ranges are directly proportional to the percentage of moisture removed from the air currents by precipitation on the windward side of the mountain ranges. Thus the State of Nevada is the driest state in the nation because the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the west remove a large portion of the moisture as the cyclonic moisture bearing air currents move inland from Utah is the the Pacific Ocean. second driest state in the USA and Wyoming is the third. During the winter months as the earth tilts on its axis and the hours of sunlight decrease in the Northern Hemisphere, the westerly up- flow over the Gr atmospheric Basin intensifies and the velocity ofthe winds aloft increases. Atmospheric low pressure centers, with their counterclockwise rotation, form in the Pacific Ocean and move inland over the coast of the States... "Tonopah Low! United ' One ofthe primary low pressure centers which forms in Nevada and brings a laige amount of precipitation to the Uintah Basin is known as s "Tonopsh Low since the center of the low pressure system is centered in tbs vicinity of Tonopah, see the top of a fog bank extending from the city of Duchesne to Ouray. Consequently the fog and cold air are effectively capped at the ground level and the heat that is available continues to be radiated from the earth back into the upper atmosphere. Under these circumstances the fog condensee at night into a white frost covering tree limbs, fences, etc., creating! a Vinter wonderland. It also manages to create temperatures, not unusual, of 20 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit below sera. While heating at the ground level will dissipate the inversion, this usually does not occur because the snow on the ground radiates the sun rays back into space, when, if for a brief time, they break through the fog. Consequently, the inversion must be bro- ken by a frontal system or a low pressure system or a combination of both, moving into the area, creating enough turbulence to mix the air at the earth's surface with that aloft. age projects were practically nonexistent at the time, crops withered and d ed, p sture land was denuded and triren. Since no bed was available for the livestock industry, and the tanners and ranchers did not havs tha funds to purchase feed even if it were available, a govern-mejtprogram was initiated to purchase livestock for a pittance sum, sla Jghter them and cover the carcasses with earth. However, these old timers in the Uintah Basin were a hardy people and very al They initiated a program of buildi ng water storage realizing that "those who foil to comprehend and solve the' problems of the past may very well sacrifice the promise of their fuself-relia- ree-ervo- iri ture. As water storage projects after water storage projects were built those periods of drought occurring in the Uintah Basin have been alleviated. Farmers and ranchers have installed sprinkler systems and gated irrigation pipe so that tha amount of eater needed to irrigate an acre of land has decreased. However, at the present time. Summer Weather The weather patterns over the Uintah Basin during the summer months are far different from those , during the winter months. As the earth tilts back once again on its axis, the sun rays shine more direct on the Northern Hemisphere, and summer begins. The longer and more intense hows of daylight cause the surface of the earth in the Northern Hemisphere to heat to a greater degree than does that of the Pacific Ocean or the Gulf ofMexi co. Consequently, since the warmer atmosphere is lighter and less dense over the land than that over the bodies of water, an atmospheric circulation pattern develops moving moisture laden air from the Gulf of Mexico or Gulf of California into the Uintah Basin. The surface of the earth is now extremely warm and these moisture laden air particles are now lifted aloft, not only by orographic means but by convection, resulting there are still insufficient water storage facilities available to provide the necessary irrigation water for the form and pasture lands extending from the Lake Fork drainage across to the Whiterocks River drainage. During a period of sustained drought, crop and pasture land will suffer decreased production unless additional water storage projects are built. Also it is a certainty that drought conditions will return once sgain in the future to the Uintah Basin. The likelihood exists that these drought conditions may be more severe in the future than they were ui the past, since global warming is slowly occurring according to research conducted by some of our most distinguished and prestigious institutions sped ah zing in weather and climate research. The basic causes of the phenomena of global wanning is unknown for certainty? However we should not be surprised that it is happening since climatic changes have occurred on this earth since its very first existence. Lands which were once swampland millions of years ago have now become deserts. Lands that once were covered by a thick layer of ice thousands of years ago have now become verdant farmland. What the future holds in regards to climatic change on this planet remains to be seen, but it will affect the Uintah Basin. Board against prosecution of pregnant women on drugs Associated Press A state advisory board aaya woman who abuse alcohol or drugs while pregnant should not be prosecuted or kept in involuntary con- finement 1 see all kinds of problems with tha punitive approach. It actually deters entrance into treatment said Kristin Brewer, a member of the Child Abuse and Neglect Advi- sory Council. The council was asked by the state Division of Child and Family Services to consider any practical method of deterring fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal drug dependency, including the "preventive detention of mothers who refuse alc hoi or drug rehabilitation. Detaining pregnant women, par ticulariy adults, would pose const- sometimes in intense thunderstorms, lightning, hail, and microbunUofwind descending from the thunderstorm. These winds occasionally reach hurricane velocity or even mors. Drought One other weather pattern which adversely affects the Uintah Basin is drought, and it occurs about every ten to 15 years. Sometimes these drought conditions may bo more severe than at other tunes. The muse of severe drought in the Uintah Basin is a result of two things. Pint, the "Tonopah Low" folia to develop in the winter and spring1 months bringing the necessary precipitation and snow park to the Uintah Mountains to provide sufficient irrigation water during the summer months. Second, the summer Monsoon foils to move far enough north into the Uintah Basin, with its moisture laden air, to provide precipitation during the summer imonths. In the early years of the 1930s both drought and Depression struck the Uintah Basin. Since water etor- - itutional problems, said Carol Yerdoia, assistant attorney general and council member. The state also would have trouble trying to prove a child in utero suffers from an alcohol- - or drug e-la ted illness, aha said. Counterclockwise Nevada. circulation around this low pres-sur- e center moves moisture bearing air currents from the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf ofCalifornia in a Northeasterly direction where they finally reach the Uinta Mountains and orographic lifting occurs, resulting in heavy precipitation. Forerunners of these storms are usually very high cirrus clouds composed of ice crystals and also a large drop in barometric pressure occurs. Associated Press Sometimes ifthe "Tonopah Low is a closed pressure field extending Shoppers who believe they alalmost to the stratosphere, it will ways get a better deal when they remain stationary for a consider buy a bigger size may be getting able period of time. The heavy prefooled. Researchers from Purdue Unicipitation pattern will thus continue for several days until the low prespresented a study Tuesday versity sure center moves to the east The that found consumers often don't c or per-un- it majority ofthe precipitation which bother to compare affects the Uintah Basin comes from and they may pay prices air currents moving into the area more because of it. from the southwest or south or from That's because ofa retailing practhe southeast to the south. tice called 'surcharging, where Those frontal systems characterhuger packages coat more per unit ised by a difference in temperatures than smaller packages of tbs sams and density between two air masses product, said James Binkley, a of agricultural economics at moving into the Uintah Basin from the west to the north generally have Purdue. been lifted orographicallv by the Binkley and study Wasatch Mountains and a large . John Beinarewici, a Purdue graduate student and executive for AC portion of their moisture removed from the sir currents. Nielsen Research, studied canned Under these circumstances, the tuna prices and found the larger the air descending on the leeward side cans, the more expensive the tuna. of the Wasatch Mountains into the They concentrated their study on Uintah Basin sometimes reaches tuna because it consistently has tremendous velocities, and while no surcharges and tha product sizes precipitation results, the winds do are easy to compare. cause a considerable amount of propThe researchers say surcharges also often are found on toilet paper, erty damage. coffee, dish detergent and ketchup. Michael Mullen, a spokesman for The Fog StarKist Seafood in Newport, Kf One of the most interesting and said the company provides a recomundesirable aspects of the weather mended retail price, but the actual patterns affecting the Uintah Basin pnee generally is left to individual during the winter months is when a supermarkets. He Mid frounce cans of tuna are heavy snowfall occurs, and there is a partial melting of the snowfall, items often used m Iom leaders causing a high relative humidity at grocers are willing to lose money on the ground level. to get a customer into the store to As an extremely cold high presbuy other products. sure area moves into the Uintah It's not the practice of StarKist Basin with a clockwise circulation to surcharge our product, be Mid. after the anew storm, the Rom Thomas, a spokesman for Eattem, humidity of the air at Cincinnati-base- d Kroger Co., Mid the ground level condenses into fog the frounce can of tuna la the moot during the night. The high pressure popular promotional size and manuarea is a weather pattern characfacturers tend to discount the price. terised by descending air, and the The researchers used price data upper atmosphere is heated by Selling Areas Marketcompiled a meteorological term Inc. in 54 mqjor metropolitan ing k meaning heat is neither added nor areas. They studied the deleted but occurs simply through price average of three brands that When these phecompression. share 90 percent of the tuna mat nomena occur, a temperature inket StarKist, Bumble Bee and version develops where the air at Chicken of the Sea. the ground is colder and denser than The study was presented at tha that a few hundred foot aloft. When American Agricultural Economics this weather pattern occurs, many Association annual meeting in times people living in the Neols Nashville. area can look out to the south and aions. Besides, they said, tha state has no legal authority to intervena before a child is bom. Council member Anne FVeimuth wondered whether the state might also foci compelled to go after overweight pregnant women, or amok- era or diabetics who foiled to taka their medication. "Where are we going to atop? FYeimuth asked. Council members say bad behavior, rather than punishing it, yields the beat results. Agricultural Prices Prices received by Utah formers and ranchers during mid-Julwss down for barley, but up for all milk, alfalfa hay, and other hay. The Utah mid-Julall milk price wm $12.40 per cwt, up 10 cents from the previous month but down $0.90 from July 1998. Barley, at $1.81 per bushel, was down 12 cents from the previous month and down 15 cents Grom the same month last year. Baled alfalfa hay was $67 per ton, up $5 from last month but $14 lower than July 1998. Other hay, at $35 per ton. wm up $3 from last month nnd $25 lower than July 1998. The lamb price for June 1999 wm $78 per cwt, down $2 from May and down $4 from last year. The y y 19- - Page 19 THAT'S THE WAY-Ma- ry Jane Davies, a member of the Back Country Horseman Uintah Basin chapter u saddled up and ready to ndc her hone Katy. Back Country Horsemen advocate low impact usage By Cheryl Uecham Members of the Beck Country Horsemen Uintah Basin chapter will be saddling up and heading out to ride a part of the Great Western Trail on Friday. August 20. According to chapter member Alan Oleen, riders from Vernal will combine with half a dozen horsemen and women from the Moeb Back Country chapter to ride a section of the trail from Huntington Canyon to Fairriew, Utah. "We'll go up and scout around on Friday, then Saturday have a good long ride, then come home Sunday," Oleen reported, adding that there will be considerable media coverage of the event. Each month members of the organization gather their mounts for rides in some of the Uintah Basin's most beautiful back country. Monthly meetings also provide an arena where guest speakers meet with the horsemen and women to educate them concerning their mounts, trail riding and safety. The Uintah Basin chapter is also involved preserving and maintaining trails and assisting the Forest Service. Bureau of Land Management and the National Parks Service with wilderness projects. Last month Oleen sars ike Uintah Basin chapter of horsemen and women helped to create a new trail with the Forest Service near Cheprta Lake. Before that, they were cleaning up Double Pule Trad near Browns Park They are also responsible for maintenance on an eection of trail on the Highline trad from East Park Reservoir to the foot of Liddy Peak. "WeVe hauled out old wnrr and garbage. WeVe packed in timber when they need to build a bridge" Oleen commented on the work lue chapter has done for the various management agencies. The Back Country organization is found within every one of the western states, with a total of 24 18-mi- states involved across America. The in protecting the group is righto of horsemen to take their mounts into the wilderness. There pro-activ- e iAWm. Super size may 'not be super deal are nine units within the state of Utah. Oleen said. The Uintah Basin chapter as established in 1997. Today there are 31 members and Oleen expect a that number to grow to 50 within the year. "The purpose is to preserve and protect our heritage and the usage of high rcuniry and hack country areas of America. Theres people who dont want to see horse in the hack country We educate and advocate a user friendly use of the land. We promote w hat's called low impact usage and camping." Oleen concluded. Flaming Gorge announces road restrictions Dave Bull, Flaming Gorge Dis- trict Ranger, announced that restrictions have been placed on two area roads The Hickerson Park Road. Forest Road 22 1 . will no longer be open to ATY travel from the junction of Sheep Creek Geologic Loop Road. Forest Road 218. to the junction of the Long Park Reservoir Road. Forest Road 014 In addition, all travel will be resinned on tha Long Park Reservoir Road, Forest Road 014. for its enure length except to those holding valid permits. "These restriction are necessary for our visitors' safety during tha reconstruction of Long Park Dam and will be in effect until farther notice," Bull staled Empire Sand and Gravel of Billings. Montana has been contracted by Sheep Creek Irrigation District to reccs .rtnict the dam "1 urge Forest isitoro to be on the lookout for heavy truck traffic while the dam reconstruction is underway," Bull added The Ranger District also plans to post 35 mph speed limit signs. "Its especially important for user to drive defensively. Look ahead for tell-tal- e signs of approaching traffic. such as dust, and please keep your vehicle on the right side ofthe road," Bull continued. '. sgm.r ' ; s'm per-oun- pro-less- or getting out ithout going away adia-balicalt- y, ' There nothing quite like an evening outside: replacing the drone of a ttlevih yi w uh lively convenor hyi, and trading Hand casseroles for the vibrant smell and tate of a Uklyard barbecue. And while autumn shorter days and cooler night may drive the ncighlvfs inside, your natural g.i$ patio heater keep summer alive, affordably. Natural gas i easy on the environment and highly abundant, to evenings like this will still be around fot your kids to share with their kids. True, summer wvn't last forever, but natural gas will help you feel tike it does. To find new ways you can comfortably use natural gas, call your local . appliance dealer or the Rocky Mountain Cas Assoctatun at I .V-729-6?'?! & ii I! ft k QtlESMR Gas I IS 't-- a 'f |