Lyndon State CollegePortland, Maine Sea Breeze Study -- Summer 2000National Weather Service

COMET


Dr. Nolan T. Atkins, James B. Hayes, Joseph A. Ronco, and Scott D. Vibert


This study was undertaken to attempt to produce a scheme to forecast the onset time of the sea breeze on the coast of Southern Maine. The project was funded by a grant from COMET and was a cooperative effort of the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Gray, Maine and Lyndon State College's Meteorology Department. The idea of the study was to relate easily measured Meteorological observations to the onset time of the sea breeze at Portland International Jetport (PWM). If the initial attempt is successful, then it is hopeful that the methodology will be easily extended to other sites with in the NWSFO, Gray Forecast Area, more specifically Brunswick Naval Air Station (NHZ) and Wiscassett Airport (IWI). A much more detailed explanation of the methodology will be available here.


Portland Sea Breeze Study Forecast Chart
The chart works by finding the forecast difference in temperature from Fryeburg, ME (IZG) and ocean (buoy 44007, DB278) along the horizontal axis and the forecast wind component perpindicular to the shore along the vertical axis and noting which block the two intersect, that block is the forecast time for sea breeze onset at Portland, ME (PWM).
The final sea breeze forecast chart

View the predictor correlations here.


Portland Sea Breeze Study Image Archieve
Please select your day from the available cases



Page last updated: October 18, 2000

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