A Composite and Microphysical Study of Jet Stream Cirrus Over the ARM Site

Cirrus are known to play an important role in the radiative budget of the earth-atmosphere system. Previous studies have shown that cirrus within strong jet streams account for about 40% to 60% of all cirrus observed in the continental United States during the winter (Menzel et al. 1992). However, the connection between the properties of mid-latitude cirrus clouds and the large-scale flow that supports them is still, to a large degree, unknown. This study seeks to better quantify and understand this relationship through two interrelated investigations.