The Diurnal Cycle of the Summertime Atmospheric Hydrologic Cycle over the Southwestern United States

Abstract

Diurnal variations in the climatological large-scale summertime hydrologic cycle over the southwestern United States are examined using surface and upper-air observations along with regional model output. Rainfall rates are greatest during the daytime, but the hydrologic balance that supports this rainfall changes as the day progresses. During the late morning and early afternoon, the area-averaged rainfall is balanced predominantly by evapotranspiration augmented by low-level moisture convergence; moisture from these two sources is redistributed via eddy diffusion, resulting in an overall moistening of the atmosphere and a divergence of moisture aloft. During the late afternoon, vertical redistribution via eddy diffusion weakens considerably, although precipitation continues at approximately the same rate because of drying aloft, which also supports continued large-scale divergence of moisture at these levels. This large-scale divergence aloft persists at all times of day, suggesting that for the domain as a whole, precipitation is dependent upon low-level moisture sources. At finer scales, these balances are modified principally by the presence of moisture convergence/divergence centered on the elevated regions of the domain, suggesting that local balances may be more complex than the area-average balances described here.