Review of Orographic Precipitation

It is generally acknowledged that orographic precipitation (OP) is influenced by 1) the large-scale flow in relation to elevated terrain features, 2) the mesoscale flow response as the air is either lifted over or flows around the elevated terrain and 3) the small-scale turbulence and microphysics involved in the production of precipitation. Gathering quantitative information on the second and third effects has been one of the major challenges of observational meteorology. For well over 40 years, Prof. Bob Houze has been at the forefront of those seeking to understand the mesoscale and microscale processes involved in OP. In this talk I will give a brief historical account of Prof. Houze's contributions to OP field programs and the lessons learned from them.