• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.465-480
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• 2018

On 20 January 2017, the fresh snow cover which is more than 20 cm, accompaning with lightning occurred over Yeongdong coastal region for the first 3-hour of the heavy snowfall event. This study analyzed sounding observations in the heavy snow period which were including the measurements of wind profiler, radiometer and rawinsonde. The features examined from the vertical wind and temperature data at the two adjacent stations, Bukgangneung and Gangneung-Wonju National University, are summarized as follows: 1) The strong (30-40 kts) north-east winds were observed in the level from 2 to 6 km. The Strong atmospheric instability was found from 4 to 6 km, in which the lapse rate of temperature was about $-18^{\circ}C\;km^{-1}$. These features indicate that the deep convective cloud develops up to the height of 6 km in the heavy snowfall period, which is shown in the satellite infrared images. 2) The cooling was observed in the level below 1 km. At this time, the surface air temperature at Bukgangneung station decreased by $4^{\circ}C$. The narrow cooling zone estimated from AWS and buoy data was located in east-west direction. These are the features observed in the cold front of extratropical cyclone. The distributions of radar echo and lightning also show the same shape in east-west direction. Therefore, the results indicate that the Yeongdong thundersnow event was the combined precipitation system of deep convective cloud and cold frontal precipitation.

• Atmosphere
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.187-200
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• 2018

The heavy snowfall phenomenon with thunder and lightning occurred in Yeongdong coastal region on 20 January 2017. Amount of snow on that day was a maximum of 47 cm and was concentrated in a short time (2 hours) at the Yeongdong coastal area. The mechanism of thundersnow was investigated to describe in detail using observational data and numerical simulation (Weather Research and Forecast, WRF) applied lightning option. The results show that a convective cloud occurred at the Yeongdong coastal area. The east wind flow was generated and the pressure gradient force was maximized by the rapidly developed cyclone. The cold and dry air in the upper atmosphere has descended (so called tropopause folding) atmospheric lower layer at precipitation peak time (1200 LST). In addition, latent heat in the lower atmosphere layer and warm sea surface temperature caused thermal instability. The convective cloud caused by the strong thermal instability was developed up to 6 km at that time. And the backdoor cold front was determined by the change characteristics of meteorological elements and shear line in the east sea. Instability indexes such as Total totals Index (TT) and Lightning Potential Index (LPI) are also confirmed as one of good predictability indicates for the explosive precipitation of convective rainfall.