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The Dynamic and Thermodynamic Structures Associated With A Series of Heavy Precipitation Events Over China During January 2008

Abstract

In the winter of 2008, China experienced once-in-50-yr (or once in 100 yr for some regions) snow and ice storms. These storms brought huge socio economical impacts upon the Chinese people and government. Al- though the storms had been predicted, their severity and persistence were largely underestimated. In this study, these cases were revisited and comprehensive analyses of the storms’ dynamic and thermodynamic structures were conducted. These snowstorms were also compared with U.S. east coast snowstorms. The results from this study will provide insights on how to improve forecasts for these kinds of snowstorms. The analyses demon- strated that the storms exhibited classic patterns of large-scale circulation common to these types of snow- storms. However, several physical processes were found to be unique and thought to have played crucial roles in intensifying and prolonging China’s great snowstorms of 2008. These include a subtropical high over the western Pacific, an upper-level jet stream, and temperature and moisture inversions. The combined effects of these dynamic and thermodynamic structures are responsible for the development of the storms into one of the most disastrous events in Chinese history.

Article / Publication Data
Active/Online
YES
ISSN
0882-8156
Volume
25
Available Metadata
Accepted On
February 28, 2010
DOI ↗
Fiscal Year
Publication Name
Weather and Forecasting
Published On
August 01, 2010
Publisher Name
Amer Meteorological Soc
Print Volume
25
Print Number
4
Page Range
1124–1141
Submitted On
July 15, 2009
URL ↗

Institutions

Not available

Author

Authors who have authored or contributed to this publication.