Some observation of melting band in radar precipitation echoes at Poona

Abstract

The melting band is a phenomenon fre-quently observed in radar echoes from wide-spread steady precipitation. It appears as a narrow band of intense echo in the vicinity of the 0°C level, separating a relatively steady echo obtained from the snow above the melting region and a rapidly fluctuating echo of often rather greater intensity from the rain below. It has also been observed in the dissipating stages of thunderstorms. The appearance of the melting band was first explained by Ryde (1946) to arise from the coalescence and melting of snowflakes near the 0°C level. Austin and Bemis (1950) and Browne (1952) have modified Ryde's theory to include factors such as the aggregation of snowflakes near the melting region, vertical draughts and variation of the radar pulse-length.