10th Conference on Mesoscale Processes

Wednesday, 25 June 2003: 1:45 PM
Cloud and Precipitation Processes Observed in the 13–14 December 2001 Storm Studied over the Oregon Cascades in IMPROVE
Christopher P. Woods, University of Washington, Seattle, WA; and M. T. Stoelinga, J. D. Locatelli, and P. V. Hobbs
Poster PDF (450.8 kB)
On 13-14 December 2001 a strong cyclonic storm system passed over the Pacific Northwest, producing heavy orographic precipitation over the Cascade Mountains. This storm was one of several studied during the second field phase of the Improvement of Microphysical Parameterizations through Observational Verification Experiments (IMPROVE). A wide variety of in situ and remotely sensed measurements were obtained as this storm passed over the Oregon Cascades. These provided a comprehensive data set of meteorological state parameters (temperature, pressure, humidity, winds, and vertical velocity), polarization Doppler radar measurements, and cloud microphysical parameters (particle concentrations, size spectra, particle imagery, and liquid water content). The 13-14 December case was characterized by the passage of a vigorous upper cold frontal rainband, which produced clouds up to 8-9 km. An important difference between this storm, and storms previously studied over the Washington Cascades, was that both the prefrontal and postfrontal airflow over the Oregon Cascades at low levels were characterized by strong westerly cross-barrier flow. Thus, as the frontal band passed over the mountains there was both strong ice particle production aloft and significant liquid water production at lower levels in the orographic lifting zone. Airborne in situ measurements, ground-based microwave radiometer measurements, and ground observations of snow crystals, show the simultaneous presence of high ice crystal concentrations and large liquid water contents aloft, and heavily rimed particles reaching the ground. Results will be shown from analysis of these and other observations, with emphasis on the relative contributions of baroclinic lifting within the rainband and orographic lifting to total precipitation production over the mountains. Interactions between ice particles and cloud liquid water will also be discussed.

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