Open AccessThe IMPROVE-1 Storm of 1–2 February 2001. Part IV: Precipitation Enhancement across the Melting Layer
Author(s) -
Christopher P. Woods,
John D. Locatelli,
Mark T. Stoelinga
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of the atmospheric sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.853
H-Index - 173
eISSN - 1520-0469
pISSN - 0022-4928
DOI - 10.1175/2007jas2247.1
Subject(s) - precipitation , snow , rainband , precipitation types , environmental science , rain and snow mixed , storm , condensation , atmospheric sciences , freezing rain , materials science , meteorology , climatology , geology , physics
Previous model simulations indicate that in stratiform precipitation, the precipitation rate can increase by 7% in the melting layer through direct condensation onto melting snow and the resultant cooled rain. In the present study, a model simulation of stratiform precipitation in a wide cold frontal rainband indicates that the precipitation rate can also increase by 5% in the melting layer through accretion, by melting snow and rain, of additional cloud water produced by the latent cooling of the ambient air associated with melting snow. The contribution of the combined processes, and therefore the additional precipitation gained through the latent cooling of melting snow within the melting layer, may contribute as much as 10% to the precipitation rate in stratiform precipitation.