West Coast Precipitation Processes as Modulated by Storm Structure and Terrain

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

Mountainous terrain has a significant impact on the amount and distribution of precipitation when large storms pass through. In the winter of 2015-2016, a field campaign was conducted in the Olympic peninsula of Washington state to study precipitation near coastal terrain. This follow-up project will use that data to answer questions about possible mechanisms involved in the enhancement of precipitation by mountains. These events have high societal impact and further understanding of the specifics of their development will aid future forecasts. The project also includes student training, outreach to the public, and is led by two females, a group that is underrepresented in the atmospheric science community. The research team plans to improve the understanding of precipitation processes in wintertime mid-latitude landfalling cyclones and determine how these processes are modulated by synoptic conditions and terrain. The researchers would use observational data collected during the 2015-16 Olympia Mountains Experiment (OLYMPEX). The OLYMPEX campaign consisted of a host of ground-based precipitation sites, multiple radars, and two research aircraft. The researchers plan to use that data to answer two main scientific questions: 1) How do the effects of mountains on mid-latitude cyclone precipitation vary as each sector of a storm passes over the windward slope, high terrain, and leeside of the Olympic Mountains?, and 2) What are the key microphysical and dynamical processes operating during these variations?