Oklahoma CI 18 May 2011

2330Z Update: UAH CI indicating possible development across Garvin and McClain counties. There does appear to be an HCR in this location but we believe that the edge of thin cirrus clouds are causing algorithm to detect cloud cooling that is not real. Looks like we are going to move operational area to eastern Colorado where there is a lone supercell.  kbrown

2230Z Update: Got a hit off of the UAH CI over southern Comanche county where there are weak echoes aloft (15-20dbz). These echoes are associated with a wildfire plume, however.

2140Z: Brief UAH CI detected across north-central Oklahoma in cloud streets (1832Z), but no subsequent echoes were detected.

Although there has been several hours of cu/tcu formation near and east of dryline, CI algorithms have not detected CI across OUN domain. From 20Z to 2115Z this is actually a good thing since no echoes have developed (good case of low false alarm). Before the CIMSS CI became contaminated with Ice Cloud Mask, there were a few hits for CI on leading edge of incoming cirrus across northwest Oklahoma between 19Z to 20Z. No echoes were subsequently detected.

Isolated CI hits from the UAH algorithm did accurately depict some elevated echoes over the OK/AR border but no lightning occurred. Leadtime for echoes was 15 to 30 minutes. kbrown

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