On the Mechanisms of a Snowstorm Associated with a Low-Level Cold Front and Low-Level Jet in the Western Mountainous Region of the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, Northwest China
Snowstorms frequently hit large parts of the Northern Hemisphere, and their causative factors have been drawing increasing attention in recent years. As the first in-depth study on the mechanisms of a snowstorm associated with a low-level cold front (LLCF) and low-level westerly jet (LLWJ) in the we...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Atmosphere |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/14/6/919 |
| _version_ | 1827738690783281152 |
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| author | Xiaoning He Abuduwaili Abulikemu Ali Mamtimin Ruqi Li Aerzuna Abulimiti Dawei An Mangsuer Aireti Yaman Zhou Qi Sun Zhiyi Li Lin Yuan Tao Xi |
| author_facet | Xiaoning He Abuduwaili Abulikemu Ali Mamtimin Ruqi Li Aerzuna Abulimiti Dawei An Mangsuer Aireti Yaman Zhou Qi Sun Zhiyi Li Lin Yuan Tao Xi |
| author_sort | Xiaoning He |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Snowstorms frequently hit large parts of the Northern Hemisphere, and their causative factors have been drawing increasing attention in recent years. As the first in-depth study on the mechanisms of a snowstorm associated with a low-level cold front (LLCF) and low-level westerly jet (LLWJ) in the western mountainous region of the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, based on both observations and numerical simulation, the major findings of this work are as follows: At the early stage, instabilities were mainly dominated by inertial instability (II) occurring near the core region of the LLWJ, while the lower level was mainly controlled by the baroclinic component of moist potential vorticity (MPV2), which was mainly contributed by the vertical shear of the horizontal wind, which is also located near the LLWJ. At the later stage, II was released significantly, whereas the MPV2 still supported snowfall clouds. Further analysis based on the decomposition of the frontogenetical forcing required for the release of the instabilities indicated that the slantwise term was the major contributor, whereas convergence and deformation also played significant roles at low levels above the windward slope. The slantwise term resulted from the combined effects of baroclinicity due to the LLCF and the inhomogeneity of the momentum due to the LLWJ. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:47:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-983b7e81da45452caf1f861d4b737d9f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:47:53Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-983b7e81da45452caf1f861d4b737d9f2023-11-18T09:13:44ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332023-05-0114691910.3390/atmos14060919On the Mechanisms of a Snowstorm Associated with a Low-Level Cold Front and Low-Level Jet in the Western Mountainous Region of the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, Northwest ChinaXiaoning He0Abuduwaili Abulikemu1Ali Mamtimin2Ruqi Li3Aerzuna Abulimiti4Dawei An5Mangsuer Aireti6Yaman Zhou7Qi Sun8Zhiyi Li9Lin Yuan10Tao Xi11Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology, College of Geography and Remote Sensing Sciences, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, ChinaXinjiang Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology, College of Geography and Remote Sensing Sciences, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, ChinaInstitute of Desert Meteorology, CMA, Urumqi 830002, ChinaXinjiang Meteorological Observatory, Urumqi 830002, ChinaXinjiang Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology, College of Geography and Remote Sensing Sciences, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, ChinaXinjiang Meteorological Observatory, Urumqi 830002, ChinaXinjiang Meteorological Observatory, Urumqi 830002, ChinaXinjiang Meteorological Observatory, Urumqi 830002, ChinaXinjiang Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology, College of Geography and Remote Sensing Sciences, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, ChinaXinjiang Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology, College of Geography and Remote Sensing Sciences, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, ChinaXinjiang Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology, College of Geography and Remote Sensing Sciences, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, ChinaLiaoning Provincial Meteorological Service Center, Shenyang 110166, ChinaSnowstorms frequently hit large parts of the Northern Hemisphere, and their causative factors have been drawing increasing attention in recent years. As the first in-depth study on the mechanisms of a snowstorm associated with a low-level cold front (LLCF) and low-level westerly jet (LLWJ) in the western mountainous region of the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, based on both observations and numerical simulation, the major findings of this work are as follows: At the early stage, instabilities were mainly dominated by inertial instability (II) occurring near the core region of the LLWJ, while the lower level was mainly controlled by the baroclinic component of moist potential vorticity (MPV2), which was mainly contributed by the vertical shear of the horizontal wind, which is also located near the LLWJ. At the later stage, II was released significantly, whereas the MPV2 still supported snowfall clouds. Further analysis based on the decomposition of the frontogenetical forcing required for the release of the instabilities indicated that the slantwise term was the major contributor, whereas convergence and deformation also played significant roles at low levels above the windward slope. The slantwise term resulted from the combined effects of baroclinicity due to the LLCF and the inhomogeneity of the momentum due to the LLWJ.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/14/6/919instabilitiesfrontogenetical function termsmoist potential vorticityinertial instabilityslantwise precipitationregional high-resolution numerical simulation |
| spellingShingle | Xiaoning He Abuduwaili Abulikemu Ali Mamtimin Ruqi Li Aerzuna Abulimiti Dawei An Mangsuer Aireti Yaman Zhou Qi Sun Zhiyi Li Lin Yuan Tao Xi On the Mechanisms of a Snowstorm Associated with a Low-Level Cold Front and Low-Level Jet in the Western Mountainous Region of the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, Northwest China Atmosphere instabilities frontogenetical function terms moist potential vorticity inertial instability slantwise precipitation regional high-resolution numerical simulation |
| title | On the Mechanisms of a Snowstorm Associated with a Low-Level Cold Front and Low-Level Jet in the Western Mountainous Region of the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, Northwest China |
| title_full | On the Mechanisms of a Snowstorm Associated with a Low-Level Cold Front and Low-Level Jet in the Western Mountainous Region of the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, Northwest China |
| title_fullStr | On the Mechanisms of a Snowstorm Associated with a Low-Level Cold Front and Low-Level Jet in the Western Mountainous Region of the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, Northwest China |
| title_full_unstemmed | On the Mechanisms of a Snowstorm Associated with a Low-Level Cold Front and Low-Level Jet in the Western Mountainous Region of the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, Northwest China |
| title_short | On the Mechanisms of a Snowstorm Associated with a Low-Level Cold Front and Low-Level Jet in the Western Mountainous Region of the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, Northwest China |
| title_sort | on the mechanisms of a snowstorm associated with a low level cold front and low level jet in the western mountainous region of the junggar basin xinjiang northwest china |
| topic | instabilities frontogenetical function terms moist potential vorticity inertial instability slantwise precipitation regional high-resolution numerical simulation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/14/6/919 |
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