A FIELD-STUDY OF OROGRAPHIC PRECIPITATION ANOMALIES DURING HIGH-VELOCITY WINDS USING AN AEROFOIL RAIN-GAUGE

This study was prompted by a need to explain an anomaly in the apparen t precipitation distribution over a prominent mountain subject to a hi gh velocity westerly airstream. Historical data reveal that the lee re ceives 58% more precipitation than the summit. A novel rain gauge with a vertically orientated collecting orifice, 3 standard rain gauges an d complementary wind data were procured from 3 sites on the mountain t o assess the effect of the airstream on the precipitation distribution . The catch efficiency of standard rain gauges decrease after the wind velocity exceeds 2.5 ms(-1) Results indicate that the summit actually receives 59% more precipitation than the lee, where a vortex directly affects the precipitation distribution over, and east, of the mountai n.