Shallow cloud variability in Houston, Texas, during the ESCAPE and TRACER field experiments

Mages, Zackary; Kollias, Pavlos; Treserras, Bernat Puigdomènech; Borque, Paloma; Oue, Mariko

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6025-2025

Articles | Volume 25, issue 12

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6025-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6025-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 25, issue 12

Research article

|

18 Jun 2025

Research article |

| 18 Jun 2025

Shallow cloud variability in Houston, Texas, during the ESCAPE and TRACER field experiments

Zackary Mages, Pavlos Kollias, Bernat Puigdomènech Treserras, Paloma Borque, and Mariko Oue

Data sets

Herbie: Retrieve Numerical Weather Prediction Model Data Brian K. Blaylock https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4567540

Balloon-Borne Sounding System (SONDEWNPN), ARM Mobile Facility (HOU) Houston, Texas; AMF1 (main site for TRACER) Ken Burk https://doi.org/10.5439/1595321

NOAA GOES-R Series Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) Level 2 Cloud and Moisture Imagery Products (CMIP) GOES-R Algorithm Working Group and GOES-R Series Program https://doi.org/10.7289/V5736P36

NOAA GOES-R Series Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) Level 2 Clear Sky Mask GOES-R Algorithm Working Group and GOES-R Series Program https://doi.org/10.7289/V5SF2TGP

Active Remote Sensing of Clouds (ARSCL) product using Ka-band ARM Zenith Radars (ARSCLKAZR1KOLLIAS), ARM Mobile Facility (HOU) Houston, Texas; AMF1 (main site for TRACER) Karen Johnson, Scott Giangrande, and Tami Toto https://doi.org/10.5439/1393437

NOAA Next Generation Radar (NEXRAD) Level 2 Base Data, KHGX 6/1/2022 – 9/30/2022 NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) Radar Operations Center https://doi.org/10.7289/V5W9574V

Laser Disdrometer (LD), ARM Mobile Facility (HOU) Houston, Texas; AMF1 (main site for TRACER) Die Wang and Yan Shi https://doi.org/10.5439/1973058

Short summary

Convective clouds are a key component of the climate system. Using remote sensing observations during two field experiments in Houston, Texas, we identify four diurnal patterns of shallow convective clouds. We find areas more frequently experiencing shallow convective clouds, and we find areas where the vertical extent of shallow convective clouds is higher and where they are more likely to precipitate. This provides insight into the complicated environment that forms these clouds in Houston.