Mesoscale Features of a Winter Storm: Dual Doppler Velocity Fields and Differential Reflectivity

Abstract

Doppler radars were used to observe a winter coastal storm on 12 February 1988. Measurements of the polarization differential reflectivity by radar yielded information about the changing thermodynamic phase of precipitation as the change from snow to rain progressed northward from the southern New England coast in a strongly stable environment. Doppler velocity measurements by the two radars were used to synthesize the two-dimensional wind fields. These wind fields revealed an upper-level mesoscale trough and ridge moving across the surveillance area during a two-hour period, closely preceding the large-scale clearing of the precipitation, well ahead of the surface low- pressure center. This case represents the first use of these radars for dual- Doppler wind field analysis. Keywords: Mesoscale meteorology, Weather radar, Doppler radar, Dual Doppler radar, Differential reflectivity.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 10, 1990
Accession Number
ADA227342

Entities

People

  • Frank H. Ruggiero
  • James I. Metcalf

Organizations

  • Air Force Systems Command

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Atmospheric Sciences
  • Data Analysis
  • Doppler Radar
  • Elevation
  • Geophysics
  • Low Altitude
  • Low Elevation
  • Massachusetts
  • Measurement
  • New England
  • Observation
  • Physics Laboratories
  • Polarization
  • Precipitation
  • Reflectivity
  • Stratified Fluids
  • Two Dimensional

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers
  • Oceanography.
  • Space/Atmospheric Physics.