Objectives to which soundings, radars and profilers contribute…

Observe and describe statistically the daily evolution of “ordinary” convective rainfall

over the high Sierra Madre Occidental, the western and eastern slopes, the Gulf of California

coastal plain, and the southern Gulf region.

Clarify the relationship of convection on east and west slopes of the Sierra Madre Occidental

and water vapor transport from the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of California.

Observe and describe statistically the location and amplitude of “organized” mesoscale

rainfall systems within the diurnal cycle.

Observe and diagnose the principal mechanisms that force or maintain mesoscale rainfall

systems so that the effects of these may be adequately represented in models

(e.g. convectively-generated cold pools, sea and land breeze fronts, microphysics, other

diurnally-varying and/or topographically-influenced aspects).

Assist in the identification of local properties and processes associated with variability in

the precipitation (e.g. anomalous surface latent or sensible heat fluxes, quasi-permanent

convergence zones)