Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Late Summer 2020_High Knob Massif


South Fork Gorge of Powell River
Big Cherry Lake Basin of High Knob Massif
Whitewater Tumbles Out Of Big Cherry Basin
Wayne Browning Photograph - © All Rights Reserved

A very wet ending to July in the high country of the High Knob Massif has again put Summer 2020 over 
the 18.00" mark, with another month left to go.  


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Big Cherry Dam, in fact, had one of the highest July rainfall totals in the southern and central Appalachians. This hides, however, the way it accumulated 
(as highlighted below).  

(Totals Listed By AM Measurement Format)
Monthly Total Precipitation
Big Cherry Lake Dam
(Elevation 3139 feet)

2019

January
6.14"

February
12.50"

Winter 2018-19
(1 Dec-29 Feb)
26.56"

March
5.93"

April
6.64"

May
6.75"

Spring 2019
(1 Mar-31 May)
19.32"

June
10.68"

July
10.77"

August
4.15"

Summer 2019
(1 Jun-31 Aug)
25.60"

September
0.63"

October
5.01"
( 5.89" to Midnight 31st )

November
5.20"
( 7.04" to Midnight 30th )

Autumn 2019
(1 Sep-31 Oct)
10.84"

December
8.52"

2019 Total: 82.92" (M)
 (January 1 to December 31 Period)

2020

*January
7.15"

**February
13.01"

Winter 2019-20
(1 Dec-29 Feb)
28.68"

March
9.55"
( 10.77" to Midnight 31st )

April
11.59"

May
8.73"
(6.90" on Eagle Knob of High Knob Massif)

Spring 2020
(1 Mar-31 May)
29.87"

June
7.48"

July
9.72"
(10.48" to Midnight 31st)

August
8.12"

Summer 2020
(1 Jun-31 Aug)
25.32"

September 1-4
1.40"

Total Since January 1: 76.75"
[70.52"(M) on Eagle Knob of High Knob Massif]

Autumn 2018 to Summer 2019: 91.21"

Autumn 2019 to Summer 2020: 94.44"

1 June 2019 to 04 September 2020: 121.48" (M)

(M): Some missing moisture in undercatch and frozen precipitation, with partial corrections applied for the 24.4 meter (80 feet) tall dam structure where rain gauges are located.  Corrections are based upon 86-months of direct comparisons between NWS and IFLOWS at Big Cherry Dam (including occasional snow core-water content data).

*General 7.00" to 8.00" at upper elevations (above 3000 feet) with 5.96" at the City of Norton Water Plant (official NWS rain gauge located at approximately 2342 feet elevation).


**Third consecutive February to reach double-digit precipitation totals within upper elevations of the 
High Knob Massif.

Summer 2020

Summer 2020 featured a very wet beginning, a prolonged drying trend, then a very wet ending 
to July 2020 with 9.67" of rain in only 8 days.



Outside of orographics, of course, part of this deluge of rain has been driven by a positive feedback loop that supports formation of more rain once soil moisture and evapotranspiration become enhanced.

Although not included in this particular graphic, this also acts to impact air temperatures with the surface energy budget being dominated by the latent heat flux (part of incoming solar radiation is used to evaporate water rather than applied to heating surfaces that heat overlying air).

23 July to 7 August 2020
Daily Precipitation Totals at Big Cherry Dam

A wet beginning to August generated more heavy rain, with 3.80" during the first 6 days of the month, boosting the 2020 surplus to 30.16" above the year-to-date average for 1 January-7 August.

June 2020
Daily Precipitation Totals at Big Cherry Dam

Mid-June to mid-July dryness was not the case in 
all locations, of course, with thunderstorms drenching sections of the City of Norton and High Knob Massif 
at various times during this period (Big Cherry Dam 
was missed by heavier downpours during this period).

July 2020
Daily Precipitation Totals at Big Cherry Dam

A general 6 to 7 FEET of total precipitation since late November 2019 kept stream levels elevated up until 
the late June to mid July period.

Big Stony Creek Basin of Clinch River
Stream Levels Since Late November 2019

Big Cherry Lake Basin of High Knob Massif
Majestic Whitewater In South Fork Gorge
Wayne Browning Photograph - © All Rights Reserved

Review Of July 2020

To no surprise, July concluded warmer than average, with mean daily temperatures of 83.0 and 63.5 degrees being officially observed in Wise to generate a July mean that was 2.3 degrees Fahrenheit above the 
long-term average (*).

*Warm enough to tie 2010 for the seventh warmest July on record 
since 1955.  The highest temperature reached 89 degrees on July 16.

July 2020
Mean 500 MB Height Composite Anomaly

Above average July temperatures were widespread across the southern and eastern USA, with exception 
of a small portion of the southeastern states.

Mean July temperatures were coolest in mountain valleys, especially within upper elevation basins, where nights were significantly cooler than along mountain ridges and exposed plateaus (this is not reflected, nor is upper elevations, on this synoptic-scale composite map).

July 2020
Mean 850 MB Temperature Composite Anomaly


Daily Recap of Conditions
Courtesy of Computer Science-Mathematics 
Department At UVA-Wise

1 July 2020 at 3:10 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

2 July 2020 at 7:09 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

3 July 2020 at 2:54 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

4 July 2020 at 2:49 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

5 July 2020 at 3:42 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise

Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 July 2020 at 11:37 AM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

7 July 2020 at 3:33 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

8 July 2020 at 7:34 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

9 July 2020 at 7:19 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

10 July 2020 at 3:05 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

11 July 2020 at 8:45 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

12 July 2020 at 7:52 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

13 July 2020 at 8:52 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

14 July 2020 at 1:54 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

15 July 2020 at 1:38 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

16 July 2020 at 5:26 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

17 July 2020 at 8:00 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

18 July 2020 at 2:27 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

19 July 2020 at 3:37 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

20 July 2020 at 3:04 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

21 July 2020 at 7:53 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise

Computer Science-Mathematics Department

22 July 2020 at 4:55 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

23 July 2020 at 4:59 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
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24 July 2020 at 6:59 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

25 July 2020 at 1:11 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

26 July 2020 at 1:06 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

27 July 2020 at 2:32 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

28 July 2020 at 8:13 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

29 July 2020 at 1:17 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

30 July 2020 at 7:45 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

31 July 2020 at 1:37 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

Late Summer Thunderstorms
6 August 2020_Outflow Boundary

(In Picture Viewer, scroll through continuously for motion)

While the Town of Wise did not have nearly as much rain with these thunderstorms as locations to the south, in the High Knob Massif, a dramatic outflow boundary developed with a gush of wind and downpours.

6 August 2020 at 1:31 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:37 PM
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:41
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:42
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
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6 August 2020 at 1:43
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:43
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:45
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:46
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:47
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:48
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:50
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:52
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
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6 August 2020 at 1:52
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
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6 August 2020 at 1:53
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:53
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:54
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:54
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:54
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:55
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:55
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:55
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:56
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:57
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:57
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:58
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:58
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:58
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:59
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 1:59
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 2:00
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 2:01
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 2:01
 High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 2:02
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 2:03
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 2:03
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 2:03
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

Observe how downpours arrive immediately behind the dark shelf cloud, marking where low-level air is being lifted vigorously upward.

6 August 2020 at 2:04
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise 
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 2:05
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise 
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 2:07
  High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise 
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 2:07
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise 
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 2:07
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise 
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 2:08
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise 
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 2:09
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise 
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 2:10
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise 
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 2:11
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise 
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 2:12
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise 
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 2:12
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise 
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 2:13
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise 
 Computer Science-Mathematics Department

6 August 2020 at 2:14
High Knob Massif Webcam At UVA-Wise 
Computer Science-Mathematics Department

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