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Question
Dave,
1)When forecast in snow events say that ratios/ or rates will increase due to strong forcing in the dendritic growth layer? Where is the dendrtitic growth layer, is it anywhere from the sfc to 500mb with a temp of -16C?
2) Switching seasons...When a sea breeze forms, lets say along the Jersey Coast. With temps rising to 90's inland and temps cooling off to the 70's along the coast, wouldnt this create a differential heating boundary capable of producing initiation for thunderstorms?
Mark,
I'm not exactly sure of what you mean in question #1, but generally the best dendritic growth occurs between 700 and 850 mb.
As for question #2, you are exactly right that convection does sometimes fire up along the sea breeze front, or the boundary between the cooler, more stable ocean air, and the hotter, more humid, and much more unstable air inland. Any thunderstorms that do form near this boundary tend to be at or west of the boundary, i.e., in the warmer air.
I hope this answered your questions.
Sincerely,
Dave Dombek
Expert Senior Meteorologist
AccuWeather.com
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Dave Dombek
Expertise
A weather enthusiast from an early age, Dave Dombek is now an AccuWeather meteorology expert.
Experience
Dave received his B.S. degree in meteorology from the Pennsylvania State University in May of 1980. Dave joined AccuWeather in July of 1980, beginning in the Snow Warning Service late that fall after his few month period of training. Within a short period of time, Dave got involved in radio broadcasting. He spent over 25 years broadcasting forecasts on radio stations throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states, and has also done newspaper forecasts and television briefings. Currently, Dave is the lead television briefer for all of AccuWeather's television clients in the northeatern quarter of the nation. In his daily forecasting routine, Dave helps coordinate the forecasts in the northeastern part of the country. He is also the Director of Forecaster Hiring and is in charge of hiring new meteorologists. Finally, Dave is the supervisor of the climatology department at AccuWeather. An avid outdoorsman, Dave enjoys hunting and trout fishing. He also enjoys watching football and is a student of history and current events. If Dave doesn't already have enough on his plate, he is married with two teenage daughters. He also leads a small Messianic congregation in the State College, Pa. area.
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