Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Numerical Simulation of a 4-Day Early Spring Storm Period in the Black Hills

R. D. Farley Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, South Dakota

Search for other papers by R. D. Farley in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
D. L. Hjermstad Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, South Dakota

Search for other papers by D. L. Hjermstad in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
, and
H. D. Orville Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, South Dakota

Search for other papers by H. D. Orville in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
Print Publication:
01 Aug 2000
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0450(2000)039<1299:NSOADE>2.0.CO;2
Page(s):
1299–1317
Restricted access

We are aware of a technical issue preventing figures and tables from showing in some newly published articles in the full-text HTML view.
While we are resolving the problem, please use the online PDF version of these articles to view figures and tables.

Abstract

This paper illustrates the potential for mesoscale models to depict the distribution of precipitation in orographic situations. The study covers a 4-day time period in April 1995. The domain of the numerical model covers much of western South Dakota and some of eastern Wyoming and is centered on the Black Hills of South Dakota. The 4-day storm period is characterized by changing atmospheric conditions, from primarily rain generation to snowfall production. Observations and climatic data of precipitation are analyzed to compare with model predictions. The model demonstrated the ability to respond appropriately to changing input conditions and produced reasonably accurate simulations of observed precipitation patterns. The model performed well for sufficiently cold, strongly forced conditions but seemed overly sensitive to the accuracy of model assumptions regarding ice initiation for warmer, weakly forced situations.

Corresponding author address: Richard D. Farley, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 501 E. St. Joseph St., Rapid City, SD 57701-3995.

Abstract

This paper illustrates the potential for mesoscale models to depict the distribution of precipitation in orographic situations. The study covers a 4-day time period in April 1995. The domain of the numerical model covers much of western South Dakota and some of eastern Wyoming and is centered on the Black Hills of South Dakota. The 4-day storm period is characterized by changing atmospheric conditions, from primarily rain generation to snowfall production. Observations and climatic data of precipitation are analyzed to compare with model predictions. The model demonstrated the ability to respond appropriately to changing input conditions and produced reasonably accurate simulations of observed precipitation patterns. The model performed well for sufficiently cold, strongly forced conditions but seemed overly sensitive to the accuracy of model assumptions regarding ice initiation for warmer, weakly forced situations.

Corresponding author address: Richard D. Farley, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 501 E. St. Joseph St., Rapid City, SD 57701-3995.

Save
Cover Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology
Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology

  • Arakawa, A., 1966: Computational design for long term integration of the equations of motion: Two-dimensional incompressible flow. Part 1. J. Comput. Phys.,1, 119–143.

  • Bruintjes, R. T., T. L. Clark, and W. D. Hall, 1994: Interactions between topographic airflow and cloud/precipitation development during the passage of a winter storm in Arizona. J. Atmos. Sci.,51, 48–67.

  • Clark, T. L., 1977: A small scale dynamic model using a terrain following coordinate transformation. J. Comput. Phys.,24, 186–215.

  • Clark, T. L., and R. D. Farley, 1984: Severe downslope windstorm calculations in two and three dimensions using anelastic interactive grid nesting: A possible mechanism for gustiness. J. Atmos. Sci.,41, 329–350.

  • Clark, T. L., and W. D. Hall, 1991: Multi-domain simulations of the time dependent Navier Stokes equations: Benchmark error analysis of some nesting procedures. J. Comput. Phys.,92, 456–481.

  • Cooper, W. A., and J. D. Marwitz, 1980: Winter storms over the San Juan Mountains. Part III: Seeding potential. J. Appl. Meteor.,19, 942–949.

  • Cooper, W. A., and C. P. R. Saunders, 1980: Winter storms over the San Juan Mountains. Part II: Microphysical processes. J. Appl. Meteor.,19, 925–941.

  • DeGaetano, A. T., and J. R. French, 1991: Black Hills precipitation climatology based on surface wind direction. Rep. SDSMT/IAS/R-91/06, 67 pp. [Available from Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD 57701-3995.].

  • Farley, R. D., S. Wang, and H. D. Orville, 1992: A comparison of 3D model results with observations for an isolated CCOPE thunderstorm. Meteor. Atmos. Phys.,49, 187–207.

  • Farley, R. D., D. L. Hjermstad, and H. D. Orville, 1997: Numerical simulation of cloud seeding effects during a four-day storm period. J. Wea. Modif.,29, 49–55.

  • Hjelmfelt, M. R., and R. D. Farley, 1992: Airflow over a mesoscale ellipsoidal hill on sloping terrain—The Black Hills. Preprints, Sixth Conf. on Mountain Meteorology, Portland, OR, Amer. Meteor. Soc., 12–16.

  • Hjelmfelt, M. R., G. Kondrasuk, and D. Priegnitz, 1994: Effects of the Black Hills on mesoscale airflow and precipitation patterns. Preprints, Sixth Conf. on Mesoscale Processes, Portland, OR, Amer. Meteor. Soc., 566–569.

  • Hunt, C. R., and W. H. Snyder, 1980: Experiments on stably and neutrally stratified flow over a model three-dimensional hill. J. Fluid Mech.,96, 671–704.

  • Klimowski, B. A., and Coauthors, 1998: The 1995 Arizona Program:Toward a better understanding of winter storm precipitation development in mountainous terrain. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc.,79, 799–813.

  • Li, Z., 1996: Simulation of wintertime orographic cloud seeding for precipitation enhancement in the Black Hills region. M.S. thesis, Dept. of Meteorology, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 96 pp. [Available from Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD 57701-3995.].

  • Lilly, D. K., 1962: On the numerical simulation of buoyant convection. Tellus,14, 148–172.

  • Lilly, D. K., 1965: On the computational stability of numerical solutions of time-dependent nonlinear geophysical fluid dynamics problems. Mon. Wea. Rev.,93, 11–26.

  • Lin, Y. L., R. D. Farley, and H. D. Orville, 1983: Bulk parameterization of the snow field in a cloud model. J. Climate Appl. Meteor.,22, 1065–1092.

  • Marwitz, J., 1987a: Deep orographic storms over the Sierra Nevada. Part I: Thermodynamic and kinematic structure. J. Atmos. Sci.,44, 159–173.

  • Marwitz, J., 1987b: Deep orographic storms over the Sierra Nevada. Part II: The precipitation process. J. Atmos. Sci.,44, 174–185.

  • Meyers, P. M., P. J. DeMott, and W. R. Cotton, 1992: New primary ice-nucleation parameterizations in an explicit cloud model. J. Appl. Meteor.,31, 708–721.

  • Mielke, P. W., Jr., L. O. Grant, and C. F. Chappel, 1970: Elevation and spatial variation effects of wintertime orographic cloud seeding. J. Appl. Meteor.,9, 476–488; Corrigendum, 10, 842.

  • Mielke, P. W., Jr., L. O. Grant, and C. F. Chappel, 1971: An independent replication of the Climax wintertime orographic cloud seeding experiment. J. Appl. Meteor.,10, 1198–1212; Corrigendum, 15, 801.

  • Orville, H. D., 1996: A review of cloud modeling in weather modification. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc.,77, 1535–1555.

  • Pobanz, B. M., J. D. Marwitz, and M. K. Politovich, 1994: Conditions associated with large drop regions. J. Appl. Meteor.,33, 1366–1372.

  • Rasmussen, R. M., B. C. Bernstein, M. Murakami, G. Stossmeister, J. Reisner, and B. Stankov, 1995: The 1990 Valentine’s Day Arctic outbreak. Part I: Mesoscale and microscale structure and evolution of a Colorado Front Range shallow upslope cloud. J. Appl. Meteor.,34, 1481–1511.

  • Reynolds, D. W., 1988: A report on winter snowpack-augmentation. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc.,69, 1290–1300.

  • Reynolds, D. W., and A. S. Dennis, 1986: A review of the Sierra Cooperative Pilot Project. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc.,67, 513–523.

  • Smagorinsky, J., 1963: General circulation experiments with the primitive equations. Part I: The basic experiment. Mon. Wea. Rev.,91, 99–164.

  • Smolarkiewicz, P. K., 1984: A fully multidimensional positive definite advection transport algorithm with small implicit diffusion. J. Comput. Phys.,54, 325–362.

  • Smolarkiewicz, P. K., and R. Rotunno, 1989: Low Froude number flow past three-dimensional obstacles. Part I: Baroclinically generated lee vortices. J. Atmos. Sci.,46, 1154–1164.

  • Smolarkiewicz, P. K., and R. Rotunno, 1990: Low Froude number flow past three-dimensional obstacles. Part II: Upwind flow reversal zone. J. Atmos. Sci.,47, 1498–1511.

  • Super, A. B., 1990: Winter orographic cloud seeding status in the intermountain west. J. Wea. Modif.,22, 106–116.

  • Super, A. B., E. W. Holroyd III, and J. T. McPartland, 1989: Winter cloud seeding potential on the Mogollon Rim. Final Report, Arizona Department of Water Resources Intergovernmental Agreement IGA-88-6189-000-0051. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Rep. R-89-02, 173 pp. [Available from Research and Laboratory Sciences Division, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225.].

All Time Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 0 0 0
Full Text Views 275 85 33
PDF Downloads 35 12 0