Influences of Graupel Microphysics on CMA-GFS Simulation of Summer Regional Precipitation

The horizontal resolution of global numerical weather prediction models is continuously developing. However, due to the imperfect precipitation simulation/forecast of these models, the demand for considering riming particles in cloud microphysical schemes in these models is increasing. This study employed the latest versions of global atmospheric reanalysis data (ERA5), the satellite retrieval data of the Global Precipitation Observation Program (GPM), and station precipitation observations to explore the impacts of adding graupel to the cloud microphysical scheme in the China Meteorological Administration-Global Forecast System (CMA-GFS) on summer regional precipitation simulations in four Chinese climate zones. The results verify that the new graupel scheme can enable CMA-GFS to decently predict global graupel distribution, especially in tropical and midlatitude regions. The addition of graupel in the cloud microphysics increases the precipitation simulation in North China, while that in Southwest China is weakened and dispersed. Moreover, graupel scheme increases the precipitation simulations of almost all magnitudes. The increase in light rain is obvious, and the absolute value of heavy rain is strengthened. This may be because graupel quickly melts into rain after falling out of the zero-temperature layer due to its large mass and fast falling speed, increasing surface precipitation. In summary, the addition of graupel in the cloud microphysical scheme can improve CMA-GFS’s underestimation of strong precipitation.