Studies of Fronts and Precipitation Bands in the Central United States

改进的潜在经济和安全效益 短期天气预报是众所周知的。 由于 国家气象观测系统的现代化， 气象学家将有机会获得更好的空间数据， 时间分辨率比以前可能的一天一天 基础 这种天气系统的改进 为加强以下领域的研究提供了机会： 中尺度气象学 中尺度气象过程 通常控制着大多数生命的时间、地点和严重程度 具有威胁性和经济破坏性的天气， 洪水、大雪、龙卷风等。 短期预报（最多两天）的基本改进 导致美国政府内部的几个机构计划 一个主要的跨部门研究计划，被称为美国天气 研究计划（USWRP）。 USWRP由几个组件组成，包括一系列 大量的实地观察研究。 其中第一个， 也就是风暴规模行动研究中心 气象学前沿实验，系统测试（STORM-FEST）， 三个密切相关的目标： 冬季锋的结构和演变以及相关的 中尺度现象，重点是降水和严重 冬季天气（如严重结冰条件）;研究 评估新的业务和研究气象 仪器设备和综合观测网络; 开始了解中尺度预报能力的研究 和活动额叶区域的局限性。 主要研究者将使用各种 研究和业务数据，包括下一个 制作业务仪器，研究锋面中尺度 结构. 数据将来自STORM-FEST和一个 之前完成的研究东海岸冬季的实验 大西洋风暴起源实验（GALE） 研究的主要目标是： 冬季气旋的降水结构;以确定 负责组织重要的 中尺度降水现象;改进对 冬季气旋中的强降水。

The potential economic and safety benefits of improved short-term weather predictions are well known. Due to the modernization of the national weather observing system, meteorologist will have access to data of much better spatial and temporal resolution than previously possible on a day to day basis. This improvement in the operational weather system provides opportunities for enhanced research in the area of mesoscale meteorology. Mesoscale meteorological processes generally control the timing, location and severity of most life threatening and economically disruptive weather such as flash floods, heavy snowfalls, tornadoes, etc. The opportunities for fundamental improvements in short term forecasts (up to two days) has caused several agencies within the US government to plan a major interagency research program known as the US Weather Research Program (USWRP). The USWRP consists of several components including a series of intensive field observational studies. The first of these, know as the Stormscale Operational and Research Meteorology-Fronts Experiment, Systems Test (STORM-FEST), has three closely related objectives: focussed investigation of the structure and evolution of wintertime fronts and associated mesoscale phenomena with emphasis on precipitation and severe wintertime weather (e.g. severe icing conditions); a research assessment of the new operational and research meteorological instrumentation facilities and composite observational networks; a study to begin to understand mesoscale prediction capabilities and limitations in active frontal regions. The Principal Investigator will use a wide variety of research and operational data, including data from the next generation of operational instruments, to study frontal mesoscale structures. The data will come from the STORM-FEST and a previously completed experiment which studied east coast winter storms, know as the Genesis of Atlantic Lows Experiment (GALE). The principal objectives of the research are to: document the structure of precipitation in winter cyclones; to determine the mechanisms responsible for the organization of significant mesoscale precipitation phenomena; to improve the forecasting of heavy precipitation in winter cyclones.