Observations of Size Distributions of Hydrometeors Through the Melting Layer

Abstract

Size distributions of snowflakes and raindrops were obtained simultaneously at two altitudes along mountain slopes. The snow size distributions generally agreed with the Gunn and Marshall snowflake distribution, but were sometimes similar to the Marshall and Palmer raindrop distribution. Raindrops sampled just below the melting layer tended to have the same pattern of size distributions as snowflakes appearing at the upper station above the melting layer. The times at which the modes of distribution changed were the same at both stations. The implication is that most of the snowflakes do not break up into several small raindrops during melting.