Organization and structure of clouds and precipitation on the mid- Atlantic coast of United States. Part II: the mesoscale and microscale structures of some frontal rainbands

Abstract

Six rainbands were observed in association with the frontal system. All of these rainbands developed within the region of coverage of the NWS WSR-57 radar at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Two were upper-level features, associated with a prefrontal surge of cold air and the main push of cold dry air aloft. These rainbands were similar in structure to prefrontal surge and wide cold-frontal rainbands, respectively, observed on the Pacific Northwest Coast. Three of the rainbands were convective and developed at different times parallel to and just east of the warm-water core of the Gulf Stream. Each of these rainbands, in turn, migrated to the east. Coincident with the dissipation of the wide cold-frontal rainband offshore, a convective rainband developed behind the leading edge of the cold, dry air aloft and a third rainband intensified over the Gulf Stream in advance of the cold, dry air at midlevels. -from Authors