Two Cases of Heavy Rain on the Mediterranean Side of the Alps in Map

The Mesoscale Alpine Program (MAP) is a cooperative international effort to improve numerical forecasting of precipitation and circulation patterns over complex terrain (Bougeault et al. 2000). One of the primary objectives is better understanding of the mechanisms of heavy orographic precipitation. An intensive field phase of MAP was held over the European Alps from 7 September 1999 to 15 November 1999. The Alps are an ideal place to conduct such an experiment since they constitute an isolated mountain range (Fig. 1) located over a region that has a dense observing network and a prevailing low-level flow of moist air (from the Mediterranean Sea) toward the mountain barrier.