Rider v. Trough Tool Co.

 

PlaintiffÕs Contention:  strong Santa Ana winds occurred at the time of accident.

 

A.  Questions to be answered:

 

  1. Regionally, were there strong winds?
  2. Regionally, were there Santa Ana winds?

 

B.  Subsidary explanatory information needed:

 

  1. Overview of Santa Ana winds
  2. Overview of actual weather pattern that occurred and relate it to climatology

 

C.  Supporting Information

 

  1. For A. 1:  surface observations at  all locations near and around the accident  site.
  2. For A. 1:  satellite information to discover whether  thunderstorms might have been present to account for winds not captured by conventional synoptic network.  (Note:  if ANY suspicious clouds appear on satellite, then radar data would also be required).
  3. For A. 2:  weather  charts to substantiate:  surface chart, 500 mb chart
  4. For B. 1:  background schematic charts, discussion of pattern at surface and aloft relating to such charts.
  5. For B. 2:  synoptic discussion, tailored for the educated layperson of actual patterns that day.

 

D.  Data List With Source

 

  1. Locations (Initially, Mapquest)
  2. Surface charts at time or times encompassing event (NCEP)
  3. 500 mb charts,  12 and 00 UTC (NCEP)
  4. Visible and infrared satellite (NCEP)
  5. Surface observations:  Local Climatological Data (?) (NCEP); Surface Data (NCEP)
  6. Santa Ana Background:  Literature Review , Schematics
  7. Climatology (Desert Research Institute)
  8. Potentially:  sounding (See sources  on Metr 301 website)
  9. Potentially:  radar (NCEP)