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Air and road surface temperature variations during weather change

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 April 2001

U Postgård
Affiliation:
Department of Earth Sciences, Physical Geography, Göteborg University, Box 460, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
S Lindqvist
Affiliation:
Department of Earth Sciences, Physical Geography, Göteborg University, Box 460, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
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Abstract

In this study, thermal mapping along the road and recordings from field stations in the Swedish Road Weather Information System (RWIS) are analysed. The purpose is to explore how long it takes for air and road surface temperatures to adjust from clear to overcast conditions after a warm front arrival, and to see if there are any variations in reaction time between the two temperatures. The study also focuses on whether different sitings affect the adjustment time when the warm front arrives and if the time of arrival is important for the resulting temperature variations. The results show that weather preceding the front, temperature difference when the front arrives, arrival time of the front, wind speed and the occurrence of precipitation all have an effect on the adjustment time. Air temperature reacts faster to a weather change than the road surface temperature. During the evening the road surface temperature can still be affected by previous shading for up to four hours after a front arrival. When the total cloud cover increases above 4 oktas before noon there are no or small lags in reaction time between air and road surface temperature, since there is insufficient time to establish shading effects.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2001 Royal Meterological Society

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