Kakaliagou, Olga K. (University of Athens, Department of Physics, Division of Applied Physics, Laboratory of Meteorology, Athens, Greece)
Karacostas, Theodore S. (Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki, Department of Meteorology and Climatology, Thessaloniki, Greece)
The synoptic, thermodynamic and dynamic characteristics of an extreme snowstorm episode, which occurred over Greece at the period 14 to 18 of December 1988, is analyzed, studied in depth and presented.
A developed objective analysis method, which was resulted from the combination of the successive correction approach and an appropriate weighted factor, was employed to efficiently analyze the original data. This way, a network of grid-point-values was produced for the examined area. The synoptic, thermodynamic and dynamic information provided at the 37 equidistant isobaric surfaces were used to investigate and study the horizontal and vertical structure of the snow producing system.
Vertical cross-section analyses, at particular areas of interest demonstrate the dynamic structure of the baroclinic zone as a function of height. Time-section analyses at specific points depict the vertical budgets of the dynamic and thermodynamic parameters, and their continuity as well, identifying thus the ones responsible for the extremity of the examined episode.