Characteristics through the melting layer of stratiform clouds.

Abstract

Thermodynamic and hydrometeor measurements from an aircraft flown through the melting layer of stratiform clouds over the California Valley are discussed and are compared with radar observations. An isothermal layer ca 200 m thick existed at 0oC, and radar bright bands up to 36 dB(Ze) were measured. The largest concentrations of ice particles occurred near -5oC and snowflakes melted by ca.2oC. -from Authors