Weather Statistics

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Weather Statistics

Tau Meter Plots:

Below are 3d plots showing the zenith opacity as a function of time. Blank fields indicate no data available for that month. *12 Meter Tipper on loan to GMT for testing in Chile.

12 Meter:

  1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
                             
January JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG   JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG
February JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG   JPG   JPG   JPG JPG JPG
March JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG   JPG   JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG
April JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG   JPG   JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG
May JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG   JPG   JPG * JPG JPG JPG
June JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG   JPG * JPG JPG JPG
July JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG   JPG JPG   JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG
August JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG     JPG   JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG
September JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG   JPG JPG JPG JPG   JPG JPG JPG
October JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG   JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG
November JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG   JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG
December JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG   JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG
 

SMT:

  2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
               
January   JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG
February   JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG
March   JPG JPG   JPG JPG JPG
April   JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG
May   JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG
June   JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG
July   JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG
August   JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG
September   JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG
October JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG
November JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG
December JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG

 

 Report summarizing SMT T225 GHz statistics in pdf.

SMT Weather Statistics

Following standard practice, SMT uses an room temperature mixer receiver system, centered on the 1.3 mm window (225 GHz), to monitor the optical depth, tau(225), of the atmosphere every half hour.

Generally speaking, the 1.3mmJT receivers is useful for T225 GHz < 0.30; the 345 GHz receiver needs T225 GHz < 0.15; and in order for 490 GHz to be useful you need T225 GHz < 0.10.

The percentage of time for which T225 GHz is lower than the indicated value.

 

2007-2008

 

Month Tau Data Tau Stats <0.06  <0.075 <0.15  <0.30
October GIF GIF 0.0 1.8 26.8 74.9
November GIF GIF 0.9 1.1 11.5 59.7
December GIF GIF 5.3 11.0 46.3 75.0
January GIF GIF 1.7 8.5 22.6 68.9
February GIF GIF 1.2 5.2 12.6 74.1
March GIF GIF 6.8 15.6 59.3 94.9
April GIF GIF        
May GIF GIF        
June GIF GIF        

 

 

2006-2007

 

Month Tau Data Tau Stats <0.06  <0.075 <0.15  <0.30
October GIF GIF 6.5 11.4 33.9 50.7
November GIF GIF 5.1 9.9 58.1 92.9
December GIF GIF 13.6 19.2 43.8 67.7
January GIF GIF 8.1 12.0 40.3 58.1
February GIF GIF 3.5 8.9 42.0 67.9
March GIF GIF 6.0 9.8 37.0 76.5
April GIF GIF 0.6 1.7 19.0 64.5
May GIF GIF 0.0 0.0 3.9 42.2
June GIF GIF 0.0 0.0 2.0 16.4

 

 

2005-2006

 

Month Tau Data Tau Stats <0.06  <0.075 <0.15  <0.30
October GIF GIF 0.4 1.9 25.3 62.4
November GIF GIF 18.2 25.8 56.7 89.4
December GIF GIF 10.9 17.1 46.2 85.4
January GIF GIF 11.0 22.4 63.0 89.4
February GIF GIF 18.0 28.6 64.1 86.5
March GIF GIF 4.6 12.8 41.8 68.5
April GIF GIF 1.1 4.7 54.3 77.7
May GIF GIF 0.2 0.6 25.5 75.3
June GIF GIF 0.0 0.1 5.8 23.7

 

 

 

2004-2005

 

Month Tau Data Tau Stats <0.06  <0.075 <0.15  <0.30
October GIF GIF 3.6 6.0 27.3 68.8
November GIF GIF 10.3 15.5 44.7 71.3
December GIF GIF 14.6 20.0 58.7 84.0
January GIF GIF 7.1 11.9 35.6 64.2
February GIF GIF 3.8 5.6 25.4 51.5
March GIF GIF 7.0 10.5 39.7 73.9
April GIF GIF 6.8 10.8 45.9 89.4
May GIF GIF 1.8 3.6 19.0 71.7
June GIF GIF 1.3 2.8 17.2 55.8

 

 

 

2003-2004

 

Month Tau Data Tau Stats <0.06  <0.075 <0.15  <0.30
October GIF GIF 0.3 2.2 27.8 57.7
November GIF GIF 12.3 20.1 52.4 73.4
December GIF GIF 14.2 25.0 52.1 79.9
January GIF GIF 1.0 2.3 32.3 72.2
February GIF GIF 14.1 21.6 53.4 83.1
March GIF GIF 5,2 11.6 44.0 71.5
April GIF GIF 5.0 10.3 44.3 75.7
May GIF GIF 0.8 2.6 37.2 80.0
June GIF GIF 1.3 3.1 21.0 58.5

 

 

2002-2003

 

Month Tau Data Tau Stats <0.06  <0.075 <0.15  <0.30
October GIF GIF 2.2 4.2 20.0 55.5
November GIF GIF 8.4 13.8 47.6 76.0
December GIF GIF 7.7 14.7 49.7 78.4
January GIF GIF 7.1 15.3 53.2 87.1
February GIF GIF 7.4 12.4 33.4 61.5
March GIF GIF 13.0 18.3 45.8 74.0
April GIF GIF 5.8 11.1 52.4 89.9
May GIF GIF 3.2 6.2 31.6 71.6
June GIF GIF 0.8 1.2 9.7 58.0

 

2001-2002

Month Tau Data Tau Stats <0.06  <0.075 <0.15  <0.30
October GIF GIF 2.0 4.6 23.3 54.6
November GIF GIF 3.4 4.6 19.1 60.6
December GIF GIF 19.3 29.4 59.3 89.3
January GIF GIF 11.4 16.9 43.9 70.5
February GIF GIF 14.4 25.3 60.1 90.4
March GIF GIF 15.5 24.5 68.8 90.3
April GIF GIF 1.5 4.7 27.5 77.4
May GIF GIF 5.3 9.0 33.9 85.3
June GIF GIF 0.1 0.2 6.7 35.8

 

2000-2001

Month Tau Data Tau Stats <0.06  <0.075 <0.15  <0.30
October GIF GIF 0.8 2.6 18.7 38.2
November GIF GIF 8.5 15.7 59.2 83.4
December GIF GIF 7.6  15.6 52.9 76.4
January GIF GIF 15.3 22.8 55.8 72.2
February GIF GIF 5.1 9.6 50.7 76.5
March GIF GIF 3.8 9.4 49.5 84.8
April GIF GIF 5.5 11.8 50.3 75.5
May GIF GIF 0.4 1.2 19.3 69.0
June GIF GIF 0.3 1.0 10.3 45.1

 

1999-2000

Month Tau Data Tau Stats <0.06  <0.075 <0.15  <0.30
October GIF GIF 8.2 20.8 61.0 86.0
November GIF GIF 9.0 16.0 68.8 96.4
December GIF GIF 11.9 22.1 65.5 77.6
January GIF GIF 14.4 21.8 52.6 84.9
February GIF GIF 10.1 20.8 57.8 86.2
March GIF GIF 7.3 15.3 56.7 84.6
April GIF GIF 6.0 10.7 59.5 97.0
May GIF GIF 0.7 2.9 27.0 78.4
June GIF GIF na na na na

 

1998-1999

Month Tau Data Tau Stats <0.06  <0.075 <0.15  <0.30
October GIF GIF 4.2 9.3 43.8 68.1
November GIF GIF 6.0 13.5 54.2 89.0
December GIF GIF 12.1 15.3 44.6 74.2
January GIF GIF 20.0 28.3 67.5 96.2
February GIF GIF 25.9 30.4 66.4 96.3
March GIF GIF 14.8 25.6 73.2 92.7
April GIF GIF 14.2 21.9 55.1 87.5
May GIF GIF 1.8 4.0 41.8 82.4
June GIF GIF 0.1 1.1 26.5 42.5

 

1997-1998

Month Tau Data Tau Stats <0.06  <0.075 <0.15  <0.30
October GIF GIF 13.6 20.6 45.7 73.7
November GIF GIF 16.2 26.0 54.9 81.8
December GIF GIF 27.4 32.9 56.9 63.1
January GIF GIF 16.9 30.4 60.3 83.7
February GIF GIF 6.7 13.1 46.3 70.8
March GIF GIF 8.9 16.1 47.8 72.2
April GIF GIF 6.9 14.0 51.4 86.3
May GIF GIF 4.8 11.2 51.4 84.7
June GIF GIF 0.6 2.4 30.3 76.4

 

Priority Observing:

In order to exploit the best atmospheric conditions, the SMT has implemented priority observing arrangements. The scheme functions as follows:  Whenever tau(225) reaches a value of 0.06 or less, the normal observing program (at 1.3 mm or 0.87 mm) is replaced by a priority proposal, which could be carried out only in the best weather. When tau(225) increases to more than 0.075 the normal observing program is restarted. The priority observing system has functioned well and will be continued.

Raw Weather Data

 Copyright Arizona Radio Observatory.
For problems or questions regarding this web contact [tfolkers{at}as{dot}arizona{dot}edu].
Last updated: 05/06/08.