An extraordinary rainstorm that occurred in Beijing on 21 July 2012 was simulated using the Weather Research and Forecasting model. The results showed that:(1) The two precipitation phases were based on a combination of cold cloud processes and warm cloud processes. The accumulated conversion amount and conversion rate of microphysical processes in the warm-area phase were all much larger than those in the cold front phase.(2) 72.6% of rainwater was from the warm-area phase. Rainwater mainly came from the melting of graupel and the melting of snow, while the accretion of cloud water by rain ranked second.(3) The net heating rate with height appeared as an overall warming with two strong heating centers in the lower and middle layers of the troposphere and a minimum heating center around the melting layer. The net heating effect in the warm-area phase was stronger than that in the cold front phase.(4) Warm cloud processes contributed most to latent heat release, and the thermal effect of cold cloud processes on the storm in the cold front phase was enhanced compared to that in the warm-area phase.(5) The melting of graupel and snow contributed most to latent heat absorption, and the effect of the evaporation of rainwater was significantly reduced in the cold front phase.
A severe storm that occurred over Beijing in northern China on 23 June 2011 was simulated with two different ice crystal parameterization schemes(the DeMott scheme and Meyers scheme) by using the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System. Compared with the DeMott scheme, the simulation results with the Meyers scheme have the following characteristics:(1) Updrafts are stronger and more numerous;(2) The cloud is better organized and contains a greater peak of ice-phase hydrometeor mixing ratios;(3) Cloud water and hail mixing ratios increase while graupel mixing ratios decrease;(4) The surface precipitation is initially greater. However, at the end of the simulation, less precipitation is produced. In short, the differences between the two schemes are not obvious, but the De Mott scheme has a relatively more reasonable result.
This paper discusses the effect of graupel/hail parameters on a convective system in Yangjiang, Guangdong Province. The simulation results using the original model settings were similar to observations in terms of radar reflectivity and sea level pressure, as well as the identification of hydrometeor particle classification by X-band dual-polarization radar data. Sensitivity tests using changed parameters of graupel/hail indicated that a size distribution with larger and denser but fewer hail hydrometers resulted in a weaker development of the convective system in the horizontal and vertical directions. With a large terminal velocity of hail, the melting rate of graupel and evaporation rate of rain were the lowest. Hail could reach the ground and the mixing ratio of rain was the largest near the ground. Precipitation, including rainwater and hail, was the largest. However, a size distribution with smaller and lighter but numerous graupel hydrometers resulted in a stronger development of the convective system. The melting rate of graupel and evaporation rate of rain were the largest. More graupel particles were stranded in the air for a longer time—and the maximum mixing ratio of rain was the largest. The precipitation amount, including rainwater only, was the smallest. The changes to graupel parameters also led to differences in microphysical processes.
