Multi-scale dynamics of the 11-12 February 2010 Deep South U.S. Snowstorm event

This study investigates the synoptic/mesoscale dynamics responsible for an unusually heavy southern US snowstorm that occurredon February 11-12, 2010, using reanalysis, observations, and numerical simulations. This record breaking snowfall event representsan example of multiple upper level and low-level jets (LLJs) and their accompanying baroclinic zones.The analysis reveals thefollowing synoptic scale processes as significant contributors: (1) upper level jet splitting and merging, (2) advection of cold arcticair at low levels by a large anticyclone, and (3) an incoming upper level shortwave trough. In addition to the synoptic scale processes,the following mesoscale features played a major role in this snowstorm event: coexisting potential (convective) instability andconditional symmetric instability, terrain blocking, and a double LLJ development process. Sensitivity experiments including (1)limiting the orographic effects of elevated plateau in Texas and the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico by reducing the terrain heightto 225 meters, (2) the microphysics/latent heating effects, and (3) surface fluxes on the development and intensity of the snowstormwere also conducted by turning these options off in the numerical model. Of all three experiments, the surface flux experimentdisplays the least amount of influence on the developing frozen precipitation bands.