[Wswss] Rare visual inversion, San Joaquin Valley

[kr7o at vhfdx.com]

Encore.

Unfortunately, my wife went out to take pictures yesterday and reported 
"all I saw was ..... so I didn't take any pictures".  I told her that was 
it, oh well.  With a similar weather forecast for today I hoped there would 
be a repeat and there was, (but not as intense as yesterday).  I watched 
the mirage develop from 14:55z (where it was already established) until 
1515z (where it was starting do decline).  As I drove into work at 1535z 
there was no visible mirage.  I have some good pictures and I will get them 
posted up.



At 08:53 AM 10/23/2008 -0700, kr7o at vhfdx.com wrote:
>This morning at 1505Z I saw my first ever (over land) visual inversion 
>while driving to work.  I noticed something strange on the western 
>horizon.  There was a strong horizontal line about 1 degree above the 
>horizon.  I could not see the coast range about 60 miles away (which I 
>usually can from my QTH), but could see the top of the normal valley 
>inversion layer (with blue sky above).  Looking at the line I realized I 
>was seeing the inverted images of trees etc., just above the 
>horizon.  Today should provide some unusual conditions for 10Ghz and up 
>propagation on the valley floor and possibly in the inversion.  I wonder 
>if what I saw was actually the upper and lower boundry of a 
>duct.  Needless to say, this is a very rare event.  I have never heard 
>reports of a visual inversion in the SJV.
>
>I have only ever experienced one other visual tropo event off the SoCal 
>coast where I saw Catalina floating a degree or two above the horizon, but 
>not inverted.
>
>Unfortunately, I didn't have a camera with me, but did call my wife.  Will 
>see when I get home if she was able to get any pictures.  I will check 
>again after sunrise tomorrow for a rare repeat.
>
>

73, Robert KR7O/YB2ARO, DM07ba/OI52ee  (ex.  N7STU)
kr7o at vhfdx.com

www.vhfdx.com (KR7O/YB2ARO homepages)