Airborne measurements were collected during a stepwise ascent within a nimbostratus cloud associated with a cold vortex depression over the Jilin Province on 21 June 2005 to study cloud structure and ice particle spectra. The melting layer of the nimbostratus was clearly defined in the radar images. The microphysical structure of the nimbostratus was elucidated by a King liquid water probe and Particle Measuring Systems （PMS） probes aboard the research aircraft. The PMS 2-D images provided detailed information of ice crystal transformations. A thick layer of supercooled cloud was observed, and the high ice particle concentrations at temperatures ranging from -3℃ to -6℃ were consistent with Hallett-Mossop ice multiplication. The shape of ice crystals from near the cloud top to the melting layer were in the form of columns, needles, aggregations, and plates. In addition, significant horizontal variability was evident on the scale of few hundred meters. Particle spectra in this cloud were adequately described by exponential relationships. Relationship between the intercept （No） and slope （2） parameters of an exponential size distribution was well characterized by a power law.
The microphysical "three-layer" model for stratiform clouds over a midlatitude location in Northwest China is investigated by combining in situ airborne Particle Measuring Systems, Inc. (PMS), radar measurements, and the NCAR/Penn State Mesoscale Model Version 5 (MM5) simulation with a two-moment microphysics scheme. The coexistence of measured supercooled liquid water and small ice particles produces snow particles below the cloud top in the second layer. Peak number concentration and mean diameter of cloud water and raindrop appear in the third warm layer. A thin dry layer just below the melting layer is also observed. The predicted precipitation is tested by equitable threat score. The melting layer is clearly defined in the radar image and model radar reflectivity output is agreement with the observations. The model results provide features of the microphysical structure for every layer of "three-layer" model at Yan'an station. For both observation and model simulation, the "three-layer" model explains the stratiform precipitation formation completely and comprehensively.
The Fifth-Generation NCAR/Penn State Mesoscale Model (MM5) has been used to investigate the extra-area effects of silver iodide (AgI) seeding on stratiform clouds performed at the supercooled layer.A bulk two-moment microphysical scheme and the new software package for silver iodide are incorporated in MM5.Extra conservation equations are applied to trace the seeding agent,which is transported along the flow field and interacts with the supercooled cloud fields.In this study,the model was run using three nested grids,with 3.3 km × 3.3 km horizontal resolution in the finest grid.The model results showed that seeding with AgI at the 5 to 15℃ levels had microphysical effects on the simulated clouds and that the simulation produced a longer-lasting seeding effect because of the transport of the seeding agent by upper-level winds.Most of the AgI particles acted as deposition nuclei,and the deposition nucleation process contributed mostly to additional cloud ice formation in this study.The results showed that more precipitation results from seeded than unseeded case,and the precipitation was redistributed downwind of the target.Augmented precipitation (varying from 5% to 25% downwind) was confined in space to within 250 km of the seeding target and in time to the 3-h period after initial seeding.
