Hail formation and growth in a 3D cloud model with hail-bin microphysics

The hailstorm of 22 July 1976 in Colorado was studied using a three-dimensional compressible nonhydrostatic cloud model with hail-bin microphysics and parameterized bulk hail microphysics. Results show that observed storm features, such as long-lasting, transient weak-echo vaults and a pronounced forward overhang structure can be better simulated in the model with hail-bin microphysics. The role of a feeder updraft in forming and transferring graupel into a main updraft is analyzed using three-dimensional information on hail and graupel locations and corresponding wind field data from the simulations with hail-bin microphysics. It is found that the formation of a feeder cell with weaker updraft along the side of a main cell has two important roles in forming of hail in the simulated multicellular hailstorm. One is to efficiently transfer graupel descended along the edge of the main updraft or from a massive forward overhang region into the main updraft by preventing the rapid fall of graupel to the surface, and by lifting the low-level inflow by which graupel can be advected into the main updraft. Second, to evolve as a daughter cell in which hail from the decaying old cell can continue their growth. Based on the study, the primary role of a feeder cell is to transfer hail embryos originally formed in a main cell to reenter the main cell rather than to generate initial hail embryos as proposed by previous studies.