APPENDIX 

 SYNOPTIC WEATHER CONDITIONS 



Period I - 4 December to 6 December 1966 Synoptic Weather Conditions 



On the first day there were two frontal systems in the North Atlantic 

 Ocean, one in the western region, which was undergoing frontogenesis, and 

 one in the eastern area, which was dissipating. A low pressure system was 

 undergoing cyclogenesis just off the southeast coast of Greenland with a 

 series of waves along its associated frontal system extending southwestward 

 across Florida. This cyclone developed very rapidly with its center moving 

 northward between Greenland and Iceland to the north of Iceland by 5 December. 

 Gale force winds were reported as far out as 500 miles south from the 956-millibar 

 low pressure center. On the 5th the winds were increasing to whole gale force 

 in the southwestern quadrant as the storm continued to move northward along the 

 Greenland east coast. At this same time a new cyclone was developing on the 

 frontal system about 400 miles east southeast of Cape Sable. This storm was 

 blocked by an anticyclone to the east, however, and did not become of any 

 great consequence. By 1200Z on the 6th, the Greenland storm was beginning 

 to fill, as it reached almost total occlusion. At station I winds reached 46 knots 

 for about 36 hours following the frontal passage and wave heights to 36.4 feet 

 (significant height) were recorded by the wave meter. Very high waves were 

 recorded from 1800Z on the 5th to 1200Z of the 6th. At station K the strongest 

 winds were 18 knots with wave heights to 16.8 feet. Station K remained in the 

 warm sector of the cyclone throughout the period because the cold front never 

 extended this far south. 



Period 11-27 February to 28 February 1967 Synoptic Weather Conditions 



Early on the 27th a low pressure center, which was rapidly deepening, 

 was moving east northeastward to about 150 miles south of Iceland. By 1200Z 

 on the 27th, the low had deepened to 958 millibars and 60-knot winds were 

 reported. A frontal system extended from the storm center to the south and 

 southwest across the southwestern North Atlantic. As the cyclone center 

 deepened further to 952 millibars and moved northeastward to the east of 

 Iceland, the frontal system moved rapidly eastward to the east of the British 

 Isles by 0000Z of the 28th. The cold front passed over station J between 

 0600Z and 1200Z on the 27th, but the strongest winds of 43 knots were reported 

 at 1800Z of that day. Wave heights reached their maximum of 31 feet at 0000Z 

 28 February. Station A was in the northern and western sectors of the cyclone 

 as the low center passed to the south of the station early on the 27th. 



A-l 



