Thundersnow in Brazil: a case study of 22 July 2013

Abstract

On 23 July 2013, a snowstorm hit southern Brazil causing material damage and two deaths. Radar reflectivity and lightning data revealed a rare thundersnow occurrence. This study revealed that a Rossby wave propagation followed a typical pattern of cold incursions in South America, but some fundamental differences can be pointed out: (1) further northward Rossby wave amplification; (2) strong upward vertical motion within a deep nearly saturated layer and (3) a conditional symmetric instability layer, in response to strong vertical shear, beneath a layer of weak conditional instability, and above a significant near-surface vertical depth where temperatures hover around 0 °C.

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