The Estimation of Probable Maximum Precipitation in Australia, Essay Example

Precipitation

During the winter, the time when the temperature of the air is right around the freezing point, there is a possibility of occurrence of various precipitation types within a single day. These may include rain, snow, sleet as well as freezing rain.

Considering this particular case, the precipitation of snow that occurred initially was caused by the temperature of the clouds which was about 32 D-F or less. At freezing point, there is formation of ice crystals in the clouds. When the formation of the ice crystals accumulates to a certain amount, it falls off to the ground in the form of snowflakes. In this case scenario, the temperature of the air between the ground and the clouds was actually below the freezing point thus enabling the falling of the precipitated snow. At midday (noon), the temperature of the air had risen to levels above the freezing point from the ground up the clouds. This made the snow to begin turning to rain as it fall off to the earth because it passed through the air that was above the freezing point (Jakob, 2009).

Sometime later in the afternoon, the temperature of the air close to the ground had again dropped below the freezing point. However, the temperature of the air close to the clouds was still high above the freezing point. At this particular time, the precipitation that was falling in form of rain started freezing again as it approached the ground and this is what created the sleet. Later on, the temperature of the air between the ground and the clouds fell below the freezing point making the precipitation to become snow again. In the evening, the temperature of the air rose upwards above the freezing point and this is what caused falling of snow in form of rain. At this time, surfaces such as roadways and bridges had their temperatures still below the freezing point and this is what made the rain to freeze at it came in contact with such surfaces (Bureau of Meteorology, 2005).

References

Bureau of Meteorology. (2005). The Estimation of Probable Maximum Precipitation in Australia for Short Durations and Small Areas. Bulletin 51, AGPS, Canberra

Jakob, D. (2009). Climate Change and Probable Maximum Precipitation. Hydrology Report Series, Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne.