Saturday 12th March
Dan Johnson

0430	Skies are overcast but no snow is falling.  On this mission is
	Janice Coen and Dan Johnson.  We are instructed to leave NCAR
	and drive approximately 30 km SW of CHILL radar to collect
	snow samples.

0555	Leave NCAR.  Light snow is falling and consists of 1-2 mm dia.
	broad-branched crystals.  Lower layer of clouds is broken.
	We will be driving to the Berthoud region SW of CHILL

0605	Clouds have filled in and it is completely overcast.  Lower
	Stratocumulus clouds.

0615	In Longmont.  It is snowing lightly.

0644	ARRIVE AT FIRST SITE.  We are on Larimer CO. and Boulder CO. road
	SSE of Berthoud and 6 1/2 miles N of Longmont.  Very light snow is 
	falling here.  Darkest clouds are west.  Winds are nearly calm.  
	The initial snow types are small aggregates 3-4 mm in dia.  Also
	have rimed crystals, some of which have 12 branches.  There is
	no video on this mission.

0648	Chemistry bag is set up.  The snow is falling so lightly that we
	may not be able to get a chemistry sample here.  Also crystals
	are melting on contact.

0701	Very light snow falling.  Dendrite and stellar aggregates approximately
	3 mm dia. are falling.

0710	Snow sample #1:
		Dendrites melting on contact.  

0720	Snow has nearly stopped.  Individual crystals are 2-3 mm dia. and
	rimed.  Main crystal type is stellars.  Small ice particles < 1 mm
	dia. are also falling.  Winds are nearly calm.  Skies are darker to
	the north and west.

0725	Geese flying overhead.

0730	Snow sample #2:
		Two plates.  Appear to be melted stellars
		Heavily rimed stellar 1.5 mm dia.  Dry Growth

0740	Observing stellars and broad-branched crystals.  Rimed crystals
	have very small drops.  Dry growth occurring.

0750	Snow sample #3:
		Ice particle 400 microns in dia.
		Wet stellars which have melted and hard to identify

0753	Snow has stopped falling.

0800	We leave the site between Longmont and Berthoud.

0830	ARRIVE AT SITE 10 miles west of Greeley, 1 km south of Hwy. 34
	on 5 Rd.  

0835	We are leaving this site!  There are just a few scattered snow/rain
	particles falling.  Getting mixture of the two phases.  The snow
	which is falling is melting on contact.  Precipitation is extremely
	light.

0850	ARRIVE AT 3rd. SITE 4 miles north of Hwy. 34 on 901 Rd (Larimer/Weld
	Co. Rd.).  No precipitation is falling at this time except for a 
	drop now and then.  
	LATITUDE  -  40 degrees 28' 40"
	LONGITUDE - 104 degrees 58' 7"
	The sky is darker to the ESE of us.  We may have been directed too
	far west of the precipitation.

0910	Due to lack of precipitation and breaking of clouds (some blue sky
	is visible to the north), we leave this site and will head south towards
	Hwy. 66 just west of Platteville.

0943	ARRIVE AT 4th. SITE 3 miles west of Platteville and 1/2 km south of
	Hwy. 66 on 19 Rd.  Very light rain is falling at this time.  the sky
	is overcast here.  Dark stratocumulus cloud bases overhead are
	precipitating.
	LATITUDE  -  40 degrees 12' 15"
	LONGITUDE - 104 degrees 52' 19"

0950	Set up chemistry bag.

0956	Precipitation falling a little harder now.  Seeing melted crystals
	along with small raindrops.  The crystals are stellars about 1.5-2 mm
	dia.  Very wet crystals.  We will try to sample them, but it will
	be difficult since they will probably melt.

1000	King Air is passing overhead.   Winds are very light.
	Sample #1 (just droplets):
		Droplet 1 mm dia.
		Pear-shaped droplet
		Droplet 250 microns dia.
		Droplet 1 mm dia.

1010	It has stopped raining.

1038	Still no precipitation.  No wind outside.

1042	Chemistry sample is taken of liquid water.  Due to lack of 
	precipitation, only one vial is taken which is then only 1/2 full.

1100	Darkest, deepest clouds overhead.  Strong shear - tops of clouds
	are tilted to the SW.  Field of small growing convective cumulus
	can be seen.  There is a higher stratus layer to the west.  No
	precipitation is falling in the area.

1120	The sun is coming through.  the sky is filled with growing cumulus
	clouds.

1130	We leave site and head back to NCAR.