What Determines Above-Anvil Cirrus Plume Infrared Temperature?

Abstract

Above-anvil cirrus plumes (AACPs) in midlatitude convection are important indicators of severe storms and stratospheric hydration events. Recent studies of AACPs have shown large variability in their characteristics, although many of the causes remain unknown. Notably, some AACPs appear equally as cold (or colder) than the broader storm top when compared to the more frequently observed warm AACP feature in infrared satellite imagery. To confidently identify the presence of an AACP, trained experts utilize infrared imagery to support the primary source of AACP identification, visible imagery. Thus, nighttime AACPs are often left unidentified due to unavailable visible imagery, especially for cold AACPs. In this study, 89 warm and 89 cold AACPs from 1-min