Vertical Structure and Microphysical Characteristics of Frontal Systems Passing over a Three-Dimensional Coastal Mountain Range

Zagrodnik, Joseph P.; McMurdie, Lynn A.; Houze, Robert A.; Tanelli, Simone

doi:10.1175/jas-d-18-0279.1

Title: Vertical Structure and Microphysical Characteristics of Frontal Systems Passing over a Three-Dimensional Coastal Mountain Range

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Abstract

As midlatitude cyclones pass over a coastal mountain range, the processes producing their clouds and precipitation are modified, leading to considerable spatial variability in precipitation amount and composition. Statistical diagrams of airborne precipitation radar transects, surface precipitation measurements, and particle size distributions are examined from nine cases observed during the Olympic Mountains Experiment (OLYMPEX). Although the pattern of windward enhancement and leeside diminishment of precipitation was omnipresent, the degree of modulation was largely controlled by the synoptic environment associated with the prefrontal, warm, and postfrontal sectors of midlatitude cyclones. Prefrontal sectors contained homogeneous stratiform precipitation with a slightly enhanced ice layer on the windward slopes and rapid diminishment to a near-complete rain shadow in the lee. Warm sectors contained deep, intense enhancement over both the windward slopes and high terrain and less prominent rain shadows owing to downstream spillover of ice particles generated over terrain. Surface particle size distributions in the warm sector contained a broad spectrum of sizes and concentrations of raindrops on the lower windward side where high precipitation rates were achieved from varying degrees of both liquid and ice precipitation-generating processes. Spillover precipitation was rather homogeneous in nature and lacked the undulations in particle size and concentrationmore »« less

Authors:

Zagrodnik, Joseph P. ^[1]; McMurdie, Lynn A. ^[1]; Houze, Robert A. ^[2]; Tanelli, Simone ^[3]

Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), La Canada Flintridge, CA (United States). Jet Propulsion Lab.

Publication Date:: Fri May 17 00:00:00 EDT 2019

Research Org.:: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE; National Science Foundation (NSF); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

OSTI Identifier:: 1530881

Grant/Contract Number:: AC0576RL01830; NNX16AD75G; 80NSSC17K0279; AGS-1503155; AGS-1657251

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 76; Journal Issue: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 0022-4928

Publisher:: American Meteorological Society

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Rainfall; Snowfall; Orographic effects; Aircraft observations; Radars/Radar observations; Mountain meteorology

Citation Formats


                    Zagrodnik, Joseph P., McMurdie, Lynn A., Houze, Robert A., and Tanelli, Simone. Vertical Structure and Microphysical Characteristics of Frontal Systems Passing over a Three-Dimensional Coastal Mountain Range.  United States: N. p., 2019. 
Web.  doi:10.1175/jas-d-18-0279.1.

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                    Zagrodnik, Joseph P., McMurdie, Lynn A., Houze, Robert A., & Tanelli, Simone. Vertical Structure and Microphysical Characteristics of Frontal Systems Passing over a Three-Dimensional Coastal Mountain Range.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1175/jas-d-18-0279.1

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                    Zagrodnik, Joseph P., McMurdie, Lynn A., Houze, Robert A., and Tanelli, Simone. Fri .  
"Vertical Structure and Microphysical Characteristics of Frontal Systems Passing over a Three-Dimensional Coastal Mountain Range".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1175/jas-d-18-0279.1.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1530881.

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@article{osti_1530881,

  title        = {Vertical Structure and Microphysical Characteristics of Frontal Systems Passing over a Three-Dimensional Coastal Mountain Range},

  author       = {Zagrodnik, Joseph P. and McMurdie, Lynn A. and Houze, Robert A. and Tanelli, Simone},

  abstractNote = {As midlatitude cyclones pass over a coastal mountain range, the processes producing their clouds and precipitation are modified, leading to considerable spatial variability in precipitation amount and composition. Statistical diagrams of airborne precipitation radar transects, surface precipitation measurements, and particle size distributions are examined from nine cases observed during the Olympic Mountains Experiment (OLYMPEX). Although the pattern of windward enhancement and leeside diminishment of precipitation was omnipresent, the degree of modulation was largely controlled by the synoptic environment associated with the prefrontal, warm, and postfrontal sectors of midlatitude cyclones. Prefrontal sectors contained homogeneous stratiform precipitation with a slightly enhanced ice layer on the windward slopes and rapid diminishment to a near-complete rain shadow in the lee. Warm sectors contained deep, intense enhancement over both the windward slopes and high terrain and less prominent rain shadows owing to downstream spillover of ice particles generated over terrain. Surface particle size distributions in the warm sector contained a broad spectrum of sizes and concentrations of raindrops on the lower windward side where high precipitation rates were achieved from varying degrees of both liquid and ice precipitation-generating processes. Spillover precipitation was rather homogeneous in nature and lacked the undulations in particle size and concentration that occurred at the windward sites. Postfrontal precipitation transitioned from isolated convective cells over ocean to a shallow, mixed convective–stratiform composition with broader coverage and greater precipitation rates over the sloping terrain.},

  doi          = {10.1175/jas-d-18-0279.1},

  journal      = {Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences},

  number       = 6,

  volume       = 76,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Fri May 17 00:00:00 EDT 2019},

  month        = {Fri May 17 00:00:00 EDT 2019}

}

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