• Atmosphere
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.183-193
• /
• 2020

In this study, Yeongdong cold air damming (YCAD) cases that occur in winters have been selected using automatic weather station data of the Yeongdong region of Korea. The vertical and horizontal scales of YCAD were analyzed using rawinsonde and numerical weather model. YCAD occurred in two typical synoptic patterns such that low pressure and trough systems crossing and passing over Korea (low crossing type: LC and low passing type: LP). When the Siberian high does not expand enough to the Korean peninsula, low pressure and trough systems are likely to move over Korea. Eventually this could lead to surface temperature (3.1℃) higher during YCAD than the average in the winter season (1.6℃). The surface temperature during YCAD, however, was decrease by 1.3℃. The cold air layer was elevated around 120 m~450 m for LP-type. For LC-type, the cold layer were found at less than approximately 400 m and over 1,000 m, which could be thought of combined phenomena with synoptic and local weather forcing. The cross-sectional analysis results indicate the accumulation of cold air on the east mountain slope. Additionally, the north or northeasterly winds turned to the northwesterly wind near the coast in all cases. The horizontal wind turning point of LC-type was farther from the top of the mountain (52.2 km~71.5 km) than that of LP-type (20.0 km~43.0 km).

• Atmosphere
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.421-431
• /
• 2021

The Yeongdong region is frequently vulnerable to heavy snowfall in winter in terms of societal and economical damages. By virtue of a lot of previous efforts, snowfall forecast has been significantly improved, but the performance of light snowfall forecast is still poor since it is very conducive to synoptic and mesoscale interactions, largely attributable to Taeback mountains and East Sea effects. An intensive observation has been made in cooperation with Gangwon Regional Meteorological Office and National Institute of Meteorological Studies in winter seasons since 2019. Two distinctive Cold Air Damming (CAD) events (14 February 2019 and 6 February 2020) were observed for two years when the snowfall forecast was wrong specifically in its location and timing. For two CAD events, lower-level temperature below 2 km ranged to lowest limit in comparisons to those of the previous 6-years (2014~2019) rawinsonde soundings, along with the stronger inversion strength (> 2.0℃) and thicker inversion depth (> 700 m). Further, the northwesterly was predominant within the CAD layer, whereas the weak easterly wind was exhibited above the CAD layer. For the CAD events, strong cold air accumulation along the east side of Taeback Mountains appeared to prevent snow cloud and convergence zone from penetrating into the Yeongdong region. We need to investigate the influence of CAD on snowfall in the Yeongdong region using continuous intensive observation and modeling studies altogether. In addition, the effect of synoptic and mesoscale interactions on snowfall, such as nighttime drainage wind and land breeze, should be also examined.

• Atmosphere
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.339-354
• /
• 2008

A numerical simulation of a heavy snowfall event that occurred 13 January 2008 along the Yeongdong coastal area, was performed using WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) in order to reveal mesoscale structures and to construct a conceptual model showing the meteorological background that caused the large difference in snowfall amounts between the Yeongdong mountain area and the Yeongdong coastal area. The simulation results matched well with various observations such as corresponding 12h-accumulated observed precipitation, surface wind obscrvation, radar echoes, and satellite infrared images. The simulation and the observations showed that the scale of the event was of meso - $\beta$ and meso - $\gamma$ scale. The simulation represented well the mesoscale process causing the large difference in snowfall amounts in the two areas. First, wind flow was kept, to a certain extent, from crossing the mountains due to the blocking effect of the low Froude number (~1). The northeast flow over the adjaccnt sea tumcd northwest as it approachcd the mountains, where it was trapped, allowing so-called cold air damming. Second, a strong convergence area formed where the cold northwest flow along the Yeongdong coastal area and the relatively warm and moist northeast flow advecting toward the coast met, supporting the fonllation of a coastal front. Thus, the vertical motion was strongest over the front located near the coast, leading to the heavy snowfall there rather than in the remote mountain area.

• Atmosphere
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.461-472
• /
• 2021

Yeongdong has frequently suffered from severe snowstorms, which generally give rise to societal and economic damages to the region in winter. In order to understand its mechanism, there has been a long-term measurement campaign, based on the rawinsonde measurements for every snowfall event at Gangneung since 2014. The previous observations showed that a typical heavy snowfall is generally accompanied with northerly or northeasterly flow below the snow clouds, generated by cold air outbreak over the relatively warmer East Sea. An intensive and multi-institutional measurement campaign has been launched in 2019 mainly in collaboration with Gangwon Regional Office of Meteorology and National Institute of Meteorological Studies of Korean Meteorological Administration, with a special emphasis on winter snowfall and spring windstorm altogether. The experiment spanned largely from February to April with comprehensive measurements of frequent rawinsonde measurements at a super site (Gangneung) with continuous remote sensings of wind profiler, microwave radiometers and weather radar etc. Additional measurements were added to the campaign, such as aircraft dropsonde measurements and shipboard rawinsonde soundings. One of the fruitful outcomes is, so far, to identify a couple of cold air damming occurrences, featuring lowest temperature below 1 km, which hamper the convergence zone and snow clouds from penetrating inland, and eventually make it harder to forecast snowfall in terms of its location and timing. This kind of comprehensive observation campaign with continuous remote sensings and intensive additional measurement platforms should be conducted to understand various orographic precipitation in the complex terrain like Yeongdong.