Application of Mobile Observations to Investigation of Frontal Boundaries

High-resolution transects of temperature and humidity across surface frontal boundaries have been investigated using vehicle-mounted sensors. Two very different cases are highlighted: 1) A dissipating rain-free boundary in northeast Louisiana associated with a cut-off upper low (11 January 2013); and 2) An intense cold front in central Mississippi, embedded within an extensive rain shield (10 December 2012). Issues relating to data quality control, consistency with nearby ASOS stations, and correction of relative humidity calibration will be discussed. Data are adjusted to the time of the nearest radiosonde launch, based on spatial interpolation of local observations evolution. Multidimensional analyses are then conducted of potential temperature, mixing ratio, and equivalent potential temperature from the integrated dataset of mobile, ASOS, and radiosonde observations within both GIS and IDV visualization environments.