Floyd A. Huff

Precipitation Increases in the Low Hills of Southern Illinois: Part 1. Climatic and Network Studies

Abstract Long-term precipitation records indicated that, on the average, 15% more warm season precipitation falls on the forested western Shawnee Hills of southern Illinois than falls on the rural farm flatlands at 120 m lower elevations both north and south of the hills. This precipitation difference with relatively little elevation change offered an interesting opportunity to study the effect of orographic and land-use differences upon convective precipitation. Initially, two methods differing in scale and time were used to delineate the bill anomaly and to investigate its causes. Extensive climatic studies of all available precipitation data revealed that the effect of the hills was most pronounced during the warm season when showers and thunderstorms are the major source of precipitation. A subsequent 5-yr study involving a dense recording raingage and wind recording network showed that the hill-related increases apparently came through enhancement of heavy showers, particularly those associated with ...

Precipitation Increases in the Low Hills of Southern Illinois: Part 2. Field Investigation of Anomaly

Abstract The studies described in the companion paper (Part 1) led to an intensive field study in July 1970. The field study employed networks of recording raingages, wind recorders, and hygrothermographs, along with a meteorological radar, cloud cameras, and a meteorologically-instrumented aircraft. The study occurred in an abnormally dry period with mostly air mass showers (non-frontal storm). These air mass showers were found to be enhanced partially by the moisture derived from the forested hills under low wind speed conditions. In addition, the low speed winds from the south were found to be directed by the valleys within the hills, so as to develop a convergent pattern above the hills where the atmosphere was convectively unstable.