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| Analysis of a Beijing Heavy Snowfall Related to an Inverted Trough in November 2009 |
| LI Jin,ZHAO Si-Xiong,YU Fei |
| 1. Institute of Atmospheric Physics，Chinese Academy of Sciences，Beijing 100029, China; 2. Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences，Beijing 100049, China; 3. Beijing Weather Office, Beijing 100089, China,1. Institute of Atmospheric Physics，Chinese Academy of Sciences，Beijing 100029, China,1. Institute of Atmospheric Physics，Chinese Academy of Sciences，Beijing 100029, China; 2. Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences，Beijing 100049, China |
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Abstract This paper studies a heavy snowfall in Beijing that took place on 1 November 2009. The date of the snowfall was about one month earlier than the average. NCEP (the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, US) data, conventional data, and Automatic Weather Station (AWS) data are utilized to explore the reasons for the snowfall and the influencing systems. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) It is revealed from the average geopotential height and average temperature fields at 500 hPa that the large scale circulation in November 2009 was favorable to snowfall. The cold-dry air from West Siberia and the warm-moist air from the Bay of Bengal converged in North China. In addition, it was found from the average moisture flux field at 700 hPa that the main water vapor source was in the Bay of Bengal. (2) Not only the “return current,” as usually accepted, but also the inverted trough on the current had an important contribution to the snowfall. The inverted trough could produce the obvious upward motion that is an important environmental condition of snowfalls. (3) More attention should be paid to mesoscale systems such as mesolows during the cold season because of their importance, though they do not occur as frequently as in the warm season. It should be pointed out that AWS data are very useful in mesoscale system analysis during both warm and cold seasons.
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Received: 19 December 2009
Revised: 21 April 2010
Accepted: 13 May 2010
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