• Atmosphere
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.57-71
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• 2012

Influences of orographic and ocean effect, which depend on the detailed geographic characteristics, upon winter time (December-February) precipitation in the Yeongdong region are investigated. Most of precipitation events in the Yeongdong region during the wintertime are associated with moist northeasterly (coming from the northeast direction) winds and also the spatial distribution of precipitation shows a great difference between Mountain area (Daegwallyeong) and Coastal area (Gangneung). The linear correlation coefficient between the meteorological variables obtained from NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis Data and precipitation amount for each precipitation type is calculated. Mountain type precipitation is dominated by northeasterly wind speed of the low level (1000 hPa and 925 hPa) and characterized with more precipitation in mountain area than coastal area. However, Coastal type precipitation is affected by temperature difference between ocean and atmosphere, and characterized with more precipitation in coastal area than mountain area. The results are summarized as follows; In the case of mountain type precipitation, the correlation coefficient between wind speed at 1000 hPa (925 hPa) and precipitation amount at Daegwallyeong is 0.60 (0.61). The correlation is statistical significant at 1% level. In the case of coastal type precipitation, the correlation coefficient of temperature difference between ocean and 925 hPa (850 hPa) over the East sea area and precipitation amount at Gangneung is 0.33 (0.34). As for the mountain type precipitation, a detailed analysis was conducted in order to verify the relationship between precipitation amount at Daegwallyeong and low level wind speed data from wind profiler in Gangneung and Buoy in the East Sea. The results also show the similar behavior. This result indicates that mountain type precipitation in the Yeongdong region is closely related with easterly wind speed. Thus, the statistical analysis of the few selected meteorological variables can be a good indicator to estimate the precipitation totals in the Yeongdong region in winter time.

• Atmosphere
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.125-139
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• 2006

Precipitation forecasts from MM5 have been verified for the period 1989-2001 over Yeongdong region to show a tendency of model forecast. We select 57 events which are related with the heavy snowfall in Yeongdong region. They are classified into three precipitation types; mountain type, cold-coastal type, and warm type. The threat score (TS), the probability of detection (POD), and the false-alarm rate (FAR) are computed for categorical verification and the mean squared error (MSE) is also computed for scalar accuracy measures. In the case of POD, warm, mountain, and cold-coastal precipitation type are 0.71, 0.69, and 0.55 in turn, respectively. In aspect of quantitative verification, mountain and cold-coastal type are relatively well matched between forecasts and observations, while for warm type MM5 tends to overestimate precipitation. There are 12 events for the POD below 0.2, mountain, cold-coastal, warm type are 2, 7, 3 events, respectively. Most of their precipitation are distributed over the East Sea nearby Yeongdong region. These events are also shown when there are no or very weak easterlies in the lower troposphere. Even in the case that we use high resolution sea surface temperature (about 18 km) for the boundary condition, there are not much changes in the wind direction to compare that with low resolution sea surface temperature (about 100 km).

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.182-193
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• 2017

A typical snowfall pattern occurs over the east coastal region of the Korean Peninsula, known as the Yeongdong region. The precipitation over the Yeongdong region is influenced by the cold and dry northeasterly wind which advects over warm and moist sea surface of the East Sea of Korea. This study reveals the influence of large-scale factors, affecting local to remote areas, on the mesoscale snowfall system over the Yeongdong region. The National Centers for Environmental Prediction-Department of Energy reanalysis dataset, Extended Reconstructed sea surface temperature, and observed snowfall data are analyzed to reveal the relationship between February snowfall and large-scale factors from 1981 to 2014. The Yeongdong snowfall is associated with the sea level pressure patterns over the Gaema Plateau and North Pacific near the Bering Sea, which is remotely associated to the sea surface temperature (SST) variability over the North Pacific. It is presented that the relationship between the Yeongdong snowfall and large-scale factors is strengthened after 1999 when the central north Pacific has warm anomalous SST. These enhanced relationships explain the atmospheric patterns of recent strong snowfall years (2010, 2011, and 2014). It is suggested that the newly defined index in this study based on related SST variability can be used for a seasonal predictor of the Yeongdong snowfall with 2-month leading.

• Atmosphere
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.433-443
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• 2021

The wind speed and wind direction in Yeongdong are one of the crucial meteorological factors for forecasting snowfall in this area. To improve the snowfall forecast in Yeongdong region, Yeongdong Extreme Snowfall-Windstorm Experiment, YES-WEX was designed. We examined the wind field variation simulated with Local Data Assimilation and Prediction System (LDAPS) using observed wind field during YES-WEX period. The simulated wind speed was overestimated over the East Sea and especially 2 to 4 times in the coastal line. The vertical wind in Yeongdong region, which is a crucial factor in the snowfall forecast, was not well simulated at the low level (850 hPa~1000 hPa) until 12 hours before the forecast. The snowfall distribution was also not accurately simulated. Three hours after the snowfall on the East Sea coast was observed, the snowfall was simulated. To improve the forecast accuracy of snowfall in Yeongdong region, it is important to understand the weather conditions using the observed and simulated data. In the future, data in the northern part of the East Sea and the mountain slope of Taebaek observed from the meteorological aircraft, ship, and drone would help in understanding the snowfall phenomenon and improving forecasts.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.237-250
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• 2005

To investigate the air mass modification related with Yeongdong Heavy snowfall events, we examined sensible and latent heat fluxes on the East Sea, the energy exchange between atmosphere and ocean in this study. Sensible and latent heats were calculated by a bulk aerodynamic method, in which NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data and NOAA/AVHRR weekly SST data with high resolution were used. Among winter precipitation events in the Yeongdong region, 19 heavy precipitation events $(1995{\sim}2001)$ were selected and classified into three types (mountain, cold-coastal, and warm types). Mountain-type precipitation shows highly positive anomalies of sensible and latent heats over the southwestern part of the East Set When separating them into the two components due to variability of wind and temperature/ specific Humidity, it is shown that the wind components are dominant. Cold-coastal-type precipitation also shows strong positive anomalies of sensible and latent heats over the northern part and over the central-northern part of the East Sea, respectively. It is shown that the sensible heat anomalies are caused mostly by the decrease of surface air temperature. So it can be explained that cold-coastal-type precipitation is closely related with the air mass modification due to cold air advection over warm ocean surface. But in warm-type precipitation, negative anomalies are found in the sensible and latent heat distributions. From this result, it may be postulated that warm-type precipitation is affected by the internal process of the atmosphere rather than the atmosphere-ocean interaction.

• Atmosphere
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.373-389
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• 2011

This research focuses on the sensitivity of the WRF(Weather Research and Forecasting) Model according to three different land cover data(USGS(United States Geological Survey), MODIS(Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer)30s+USGS, and KLC (Korea Land Cover)) for an event of sea breeze, occurred over the Gangwon Yeongdong region on 13 May 2009. Based on the observation, the easterly into Gangneung, due to the sea-breeze circulation, was identified between 1000 LST and 1640 LST. It did not reach beyond the Taebaek Mountain Range and thus the easterly was not observed near Daegwallyeong. On the other hand, the numerical simulations utilizing land cover data of USGS, MODIS30s+USGS, and KLC showed easterlies beyond the Taebaek Mountain Range up to Daegwallyeong. In addition, rather different penetration distances of each easterly, and different timings of beginning and ending of sea breeze were identified among the simulations. The Bias, MAE(Mean Absolute Error) and RMSE(Root Mean Square Error) of the wind from WRF simulation using MODIS30s+USGS land cover data were the least among the simulations particularly over Gangwon Yeongdong coastal area(Sokcho, Gangneung and Donghae), while those of the wind over the Gangwon Mountain area(Daegwallyeong and Jinbu) from the simulation using KLC land cover data were the least among them. The wind field over Gangwon Yeongdong coastal area from the simulation using USGS land cover data was rather poor among them.

• Atmosphere
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.127-140
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• 2016

In this study, the correlations between AST850 and precipitation, and those between WDT and precipitation in the Yeongdong coastal region under the direct/indirect influence of the expansion of cP (continental polar air mass) high were quantitatively analyzed based on the winter season data for the last 20 years, according to surface pressure patterns such as Type 1 (cP high expansion type), Type 2 (cP high expansion + trough type), Type 4 (South trough type), and Type 5 (East Sea trough type). Here, AST850 represents 'sea surface temperature minus temperature on 850 hPa level' and WDT represents 'a speed of 1000 hPa wind projected onto a certain wind direction times precipitation duration in hour'. First, the correlation coefficients between AST850 and precipitation in Type 1, Type 2, and Type 5 cases were 0.253, 0.384, and 0.398 respectively, indicating that a tendency of increasing precipitation linearly with the value of AST850 is slightly presented. In the case of Type 4, however, the coefficient was -0.15, representing almost no linear correlation between AST850 and precipitation. In the correlation between WDT and precipitation, there was the largest correlation coefficient (0.464) between WDT along a direction of $90^{\circ}$ and at EN1 in Type 1 cases. In the case of Type 2, there was the largest correlation coefficient (0.767) between WDT along a direction of $67.5^{\circ}$ and at ES1. In the case of Type 4, there was the largest correlation coefficient (0.559) between WDT along a direction of $22.5^{\circ}$ and at EN2. Finally, in the case of Type 5, there was the largest correlation coefficient (0.945) between WDT along a direction of $315^{\circ}$ and at SE1, representing the largest coefficient among the types. It was found that surface wind directions with the highest correlations to precipitation in the Yeongdong coastal area on winter season were varied according to surface pressure patterns, and that the correlations between WDT and precipitation were higher than those between AST850 and precipitation.

• Atmosphere
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.393-405
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• 2007

Simulation results of WRF for the case of typhoon 'Rusa' were analyzed, comparing with observed data especially forjavascript:confirm_mark('abe', '1'); the Gangneung area around to examine its ability in numerical simulation. From the hourly precipitation time series, two peaks were found at Gangneung and Daegwallyeong, while only one peak was found from those of inland regions else. Especially, for the Yeongdong region, the first peak was directly related to spiral bands generated in front of the typhoon. Convective cells that were developed within the spiral bands moved to the eastern coastal area from the sea so that local heavy rainfall occurred in the Yeongdong region. The second peak was mainly related to the accompanying rain band of typhoon itself, topographic effect and the convergence near Gangneung area. Precipitation in Gangneung was simulated as much as about 30% of observed one. The main reason of this result came from a poor representation of wind directions in Gangneung area of WRF model. Observed wind direction was northwesterly but simulated one was nearly easterly in the area. This might shift a local heavy rainfall area downstream to the mountain area rather than the coastal area.

• Atmosphere
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.187-200
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• 2018

The heavy snowfall phenomenon with thunder and lightning occurred in Yeongdong coastal region on 20 January 2017. Amount of snow on that day was a maximum of 47 cm and was concentrated in a short time (2 hours) at the Yeongdong coastal area. The mechanism of thundersnow was investigated to describe in detail using observational data and numerical simulation (Weather Research and Forecast, WRF) applied lightning option. The results show that a convective cloud occurred at the Yeongdong coastal area. The east wind flow was generated and the pressure gradient force was maximized by the rapidly developed cyclone. The cold and dry air in the upper atmosphere has descended (so called tropopause folding) atmospheric lower layer at precipitation peak time (1200 LST). In addition, latent heat in the lower atmosphere layer and warm sea surface temperature caused thermal instability. The convective cloud caused by the strong thermal instability was developed up to 6 km at that time. And the backdoor cold front was determined by the change characteristics of meteorological elements and shear line in the east sea. Instability indexes such as Total totals Index (TT) and Lightning Potential Index (LPI) are also confirmed as one of good predictability indicates for the explosive precipitation of convective rainfall.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.83-107
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• 2014

This study presents spatial characteristics of cloud using satellite image in the extreme heavy snowfall of the Yeongdong region. 3 extreme heavy snowfall events in the Yeongdong region during the recent 12 years (2001 ~ 2012) are selected for which the fresh snow cover exceed 50 cm/day. Spatial characteristics (minimum brightness temperature; Tmin, cloud size, center of cloud-cell) of cloud are analyzed by tracking main cloud-cell related with these events. These characteristics are compared with radar precipitation in the Yeongdong region to investigate relationship between cloud and precipitation. The results are summarized as follows, selected extreme heavy snowfall events are associated with the isolated, well-developed, and small-scale convective cloud which is developing over the Yeongdong region or moving from over East Korea Bay to the Yeongdong region. During the period of main precipitation, cloud-cell Tmin is low ($-40{\sim}-50^{\circ}C$) and cloud area is small (17,000 ~ 40,000 $km^2$). Precipitation area (${\geq}$ 0.5 mm/hr) from radar also shows small and isolated shape (4,000 ~ 8,000 $km^2$). The locations of the cloud and precipitation are similar, but in there centers are located closely to the coast of the Yeongdong region. In all events the extreme heavy snowfall occur in the period a developed cloud-cell was moving into the coastal waters of the Yeongdong. However, it was found that developing stage of cloud and precipitation are not well matched each other in one of 3 events. Water vapor image shows that cloud-cell is developed on the northern edge of the dry(dark) region. Therefore, at the result analyzed from cloud and precipitation, selected extreme heavy snowfall events are associated with small-scale secondary cyclone or vortex, not explosive polar low. Detection and tracking small-scale cloud-cell in the real-time forecasting of the Yeongdong extreme heavy snowfall is important.