<br />1158
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<br />JOURNAL OF APPLIED METEOROLOGY
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<br />VOLUME 27
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<br />al. 1976; Holroyd 1986). Though these crystals were
<br />most probably nucleated while passing over the wind-
<br />ward (west) slope of the Bangtail Ridge, they may also
<br />have formed over the Main Ridge, ceased growing or
<br />even partially sublimated in the lee subsidence, and
<br />resumed growth in the ascending SLW-rich air ap-
<br />proaching the BRTA.
<br />While seeding clearly enhanced the IPC, such en-
<br />hancement will not necessarily result in greater precip-
<br />itation. If, for example, smaller seeded ice particles were
<br />created at the expense of some natural particles rather
<br />than in addition to them, seeding might result in less
<br />snowfall. Even if small seeded crystals were present in
<br />addition to the natural background level of ice particles,
<br />their contribution to precipitation might be insignifi-
<br />cant. Most snowfall mass tends to be concentrated in
<br />the largest particles, which often comprise a small frac-
<br />tion of the total population.
<br />North-south gradients in SL Wand natural snowfall
<br />existed, with both being greater to the south. While the
<br />estimated snowfall rate in Zone N-S was about twice
<br />that of the adjoining Zone N-C, it was less than in
<br />Zone S-c. However, Zone C-S had a mean snowfall
<br />rate nearly twice that of Zone S-C and several times
<br />that of Zone N-C. Zone S-S had even a higher rate,
<br />near 0.17 mm h -I (all snowfall rates are for melt water
<br />equivalents). Particles greater than 1.0 mm, generally
<br />classified as aggregates, accounted for most of the
<br />snowfall in Zone S-C. In contrast, though some aggre-
<br />gates and graupel-like particles were observed in the
<br />seeded zones, much of the snowfall resulted from par-
<br />ticles smaller than 1.0 mm classified as hexagonal.
<br />The mean precipitation rate of 0.09 mm h-I in the
<br />seeded zones was three times the mean rate for the two
<br />control zones, so it appears that the AgI seeding mark-
<br />edly increased the snowfall. However, the precipitation
<br />rates calculated from 2D-C probe images are believed
<br />to be underestimates (Part I). Consequently, it is likely
<br />that actual precipitation rates were greater at the 2.7
<br />km level than is indicated in Fig. 3.
<br />Recent observational evidence from a number of
<br />mountain ranges, some supported by numerical mod-
<br />eling, indicates that SL W is often concentrated above
<br />the windward slope and crest of the barriers in stable
<br />winter storms (e.g., Boe and Super 1986; Rauber and
<br />Grant 1986). These regions should contain greater
<br />vertical velocities and water vapor contents than colder
<br />regions further aloft. Though it was not possible to
<br />monitor SL W between the lowest flight level and the
<br />surface over the Bridger Range, it seems likely that
<br />some SL W existed below the 2.7 km level. Even if only
<br />ice saturation was exceeded, ice crystal growth could
<br />continue, possibly resulting in greater snowfall at the
<br />surface than at 2.7 km. However, no surface observa-
<br />tions were made during the January 1985 experiments
<br />to test this conjecture, although it was practical to ob-
<br />tain such measurements over the Grand Mesa, Colo-
<br />rado, as reported in Part III (Super and Boe 1988).
<br />
<br />b. 15 Jan, a.m.
<br />
<br />The climbout sounding over the Bozeman Airport
<br />revealed very light amounts ofSLW from 2.6-2.8 km,
<br />and concentrations of 0.05-0.15 g m -3 in the 3.5-3.9
<br />km layer. A zone ofSLW was encountered near cloud
<br />top while flying at 4.5 km toward the Main Ridge. The
<br />icing rate detector at the Crest Observatory measured
<br />hourly mean values of 0.03-0.04 g m -3 throughout the
<br />mission.
<br />Single N-S passes were made at 3.9 and 3.3 km over
<br />the BR T A. Supercooled liquid water amounts were
<br />near 0.1 g m-3, and only 1-2 L -I IPC were found,
<br />with the exception of a 1.5 km wide region at 3.3 km
<br />centered about 9 km south of the SSL, which peaked
<br />at 20 L -I. It coincided with a weak (6 counts) AgI
<br />plume.
<br />Pairs of passes were made at 3.0, 2.85 and 2.7 km.
<br />The SL W content increased with altitude, with a two-
<br />pass mean of 0.06 g m-3 at 2.7 km and 0.17 g m-3 at
<br />3.0 km. The threshold diameter, Dr. averaged 15 tLm
<br />for the wettest nonseeded 1 km at the 2.7 km level,
<br />and the mean droplet concentration was 130 cm - 3.
<br />A zone of very marked increase in IPC was evident
<br />on each of the six passes in the 2.7-3.0 km layer, with
<br />peak concentrations from 28-48 L -I. These enhanced
<br />IPC zones were in spatial agreement with the AgI
<br />plumes. Total counts per plume transit from the
<br />acoustical counter ranged from 31-83.
<br />Figures (not shown) similar to Fig. 2 were examined
<br />for evidence of decreased SL W in the seeded zone. Any
<br />such decrease was not obvious with the N-S gradient
<br />and the considerable spatial and temporal variability
<br />that were present.
<br />The seeded zone for the mean of the two 2.7 km
<br />sampling passes was again subdivided into three equal
<br />segments and compared with the nearby 2.5 km wide
<br />control zones. The mean IPC in the seeded segments
<br />ranged from 6 L -I in Zone N-S to 12 L -I in Zone C-
<br />S, while that in the controls was under 1 L -I . Most of
<br />the increase was in the smaller size ranges, generally
<br />less than 0.6 mm. As during the afternoon mission on
<br />this date, most of the enhanced ice particle population
<br />was classified as either hexagonal or spherical. Since
<br />the temperature over the BRTA ranged from -10.50C
<br />at 2.7 km to -12.50C at 3.0 km, production of hex-
<br />agonal plates would be expected from AgI nucleation.
<br />The estimated natural precipitation rate showed
<br />about a threefold increase from Zone N-C to S-C, as-
<br />sociated with a N-S gradient in SL W as during the
<br />afternoon mission. A similar N-S gradient existed in
<br />the seeded zones, with Zone N-S greater than the north
<br />control but less than the south control and the other
<br />two seeded zones above both controls. The south con-
<br />trol had a low concentration oflarge (> 1.6 mm) ag-
<br />gregates that produced most of its snowfall. The natural
<br />N-S gradient complicates interpretation of any precip-
<br />itation change due to seeding. However, the mean of
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