Collocated radar and radiosonde observations of a double-brightband melting layer in Northern California

A strong elevated temperature inversion in a landfalling winter storm in northern California produced two simultaneous melting layers with associated radar bright bands. The storm was observed with scanning and profiling radars. Serial radiosonde launches from the scanning radar site precisely docum...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Monthly weather review 2007-05, Vol.135 (5), p.2016-2024
Main Authors: MARTNER, Brooks E, NEIMAN, Paul J, WHITE, Allen B
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air masses
Air temperature
Algorithms
Altitude
Cold
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
External geophysics
High temperature
Melting
Meteorology
Precipitation
Profiling
Radar
Radar data
Radiosondes
Rain
Scanning
Storms
Temperature inversion
Temperature inversions
Temperature structure
Velocity
Wind shear
Winter storms
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:A strong elevated temperature inversion in a landfalling winter storm in northern California produced two simultaneous melting layers with associated radar bright bands. The storm was observed with scanning and profiling radars. Serial radiosonde launches from the scanning radar site precisely documented the evolving temperature structure of the air mass that produced the double bright band. The radiosonde and radar observations, which were coincident in location and time, clearly illustrate the cause (two melting layers) and effect (two bright bands) of this unusual phenomenon. An automated algorithm for determining the melting-layer height from profiling radar data was tested on this situation. In its operational form, the algorithm detects only the lower melting layer, but in modified form it is capable of detecting both melting layers simultaneously.
ISSN:0027-0644
1520-0493
DOI:10.1175/mwr3383.1