Observed Cloud Statistics

Diurnal cycle of (a) total projected cloud fraction at the surface, (b) cloud fraction with cloud vertical extent greater than 300~meters, (c) average cloud base height and (d) average cloud chord length, (e) liquid water path, (f) cloud fraction with liquid water path greater than 80g/m^2, (g) downward longwave radiation at surface and (h) downward cloud shortwave radiative effect at surface from observation (solid black), LES with 1-moment bulk microphysics (bulk, dotted red) and LES with bin spectral microphysics (bin, dashed blue). The width of shading on either side the observed composite mean value denotes one standard error of the mean across all the sample days. The shading is only shown for hours with sample days greater than 30 for the purpose of statistical significance.

Comparison at 1330 Local Time between LES with bin (dashed lines) and bulk (dotted lines) microphysics and radar retrievals (solid lines): (left) vertical velocity for updraft (red) and downdraft (blue); (middle) updraft and downdraft area fractions; (right) updraft and downdraft mass flux. The comparison (top row) is limited to cloudy profiles with liquid water path greater than 80g/m^2 in both LES and valid observations. Bottom row is the comparison for all the cloud profiles in LES and all the valid retrievals.