Characteristics of warm season precipitating storms in the Arkansas–Red River basin

Abstract

[1] Analysis of a multisensor precipitation product enables us to extract the precipitation from individual storms in the Arkansas-Red River drainage basin over a period of 11 years. We examine the year-to-year and intraseasonal variations of storm numbers, duration, sizes, and precipitation in the data set. Intraseasonal variations in numbers of storms exceed their year-to-year variations. More mountainous regions had greater numbers of storms than flatter regions. Most storms are small, last less than 2 h, and produce modest amounts of precipitation. The maximum size of storms and the number of storms are negatively correlated on a yearly basis. Midsummer months had a greater percentage of smaller storms but the storms were of longer average duration. We can roughly divide the storms into three different types, single ordinary cell storms, multiple storms (includes supercells), and mesoscale convective systems, and look at their year to year and intraseasonal variability in the data set. The most storms occur around 1700 local time but the most precipitation falls around 0100 local time. Storm duration was the most important factor determining how much precipitation storms generate per cell. We do not find that drought years or years with abundant precipitation had any particular characteristics but occur as a result of simultaneous occurrence of several features.

Climatology of Nocturnal Rainfall for Northeast Kansas, 1950–2012

“…Moreover, only 12 times during the entire study period did a storm event recorded during the hours of 0200LST and 0900LST exceed 2.00 inches (50.8 mm). The peak in rainfall prior to the midnight hour for May, June and July differs from previous literature, where it has been suggested that a peak in precipitation tends to occur around 0100LST (Tucker and Li 2009). Though, it is important to keep in mind the spatial and temporal differences between the studies that generate a different nocturnal rainfall intensity signature.…”

“…Previous literature has made the correlation that storm duration was the most important factor in determining the size of the event (Tucker and Li 2009). In fact, nocturnal events greater than 1.50 inches (38.1 mm) on average last 8.2 hours.…”

“…Other studies have found that during the late spring -0300-0500LST precipitation maximum exists (Riley et al 1987). In terms of the intensity however; studies have shown that the 0100 local hour tends to be the time where the most precipitation falls (Tucker and Li 2009). In addition, Tucker and Li (2009) found that most storms occurred around 1700LST.…”

“…In terms of the intensity however; studies have shown that the 0100 local hour tends to be the time where the most precipitation falls (Tucker and Li 2009). In addition, Tucker and Li (2009) found that most storms occurred around 1700LST.…”

Life Cycle Characteristics of Warm-Season Severe Thunderstorms in Central United States from 2010 to 2014

“…The United States NWS maintains the Next Generation Radar (NEXRAD) program covering almost the whole country to monitor precipitation and other meteorological and hydrological phenomena [21]. This is a network of S-band (10 cm) Weather Surveillance 1988 Doppler radars [24], which has been recently upgraded to dual-polarization radar.…”