METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS DURING THE 1995 SOUTHERN OXIDANTS STUDY NASHVILLE MIDDLE TENNESSEE FIELD INTENSIVE

As a background for other papers presented in this issue on the 1995 S outhern Oxidants Study (SOS) Nashville/Middle Tennessee Field Intensiv e, the role of meteorology in the field study is reviewed. Description s of the meteorological observing systems are given, and the strategy behind the observational network is defined. The tools used in making forecasts and their use for operational decisions are described. In pa rticular, the use in real time of a dynamic boundary layer model coupl ed with a Lagrangian plume model to forecast power plant and urban plu mes is examined. The weather occurring during the field intensive is s ummarized and put into a climatological perspective. Specific attentio n is given to the episodes of July 1-3 and July 10-14, 1995, when some of the highest ozone values were recorded. The role of nocturnal, low -level jets observed by the boundary layer wind profiler network in di spersing urban emissions into the regional background is explored.