On the Dependence of Winter Precipitation Types on Temperature, Precipitation Rate, and Associated Features

Thériault, Julie M.; Stewart, Ronald E. et Henson, William (2010). « On the Dependence of Winter Precipitation Types on Temperature, Precipitation Rate, and Associated Features ». Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 49(7), pp. 1429-1442.

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Résumé

The phase of precipitation formed within the atmosphere is highly dependent on the vertical temperature profile through which it falls. In particular, several precipitation types can form in an environment with a melting layer aloft and a refreezing layer below. These precipitation types include freezing rain, ice pellets, wet snow, and slush. To examine the formation of such precipitation, a bulk microphysics scheme was used to compare the characteristics of the hydrometeors produced by the model and observed by a research aircraft flight during the 1998 ice storm near Montreal, Canada. The model reproduced several of the observed key precipitation characteristics. Sensitivity tests on the precipitation types formed during the ice storm were also performed. These tests utilized temperature profiles produced by the North American Regional Reanalysis. The results show that small variations (±0.5°C) in the temperature profiles as well as in the precipitation rate can have major impacts on the types of precipitation formed at the surface. These results impose strong requirements on the accuracy needed by prediction models.

Type: Article de revue scientifique
Mots-clés ou Sujets: Precipitation, Temperature, Winter/cool season, Ice crystals, Snow, Rainfall
Unité d'appartenance: Faculté des sciences > Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère
Déposé par: Julie Mireille Thériault
Date de dépôt: 21 mars 2016 14:29
Dernière modification: 19 avr. 2016 18:05
Adresse URL : http://archipel.uqam.ca/id/eprint/7960

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