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The third precipitation episode of China's great snowstorms of 2008 was analyzed using station observations and ECMWF six-hourly data. The variation of the shape of the upper-level subtropical jet played an important role in the rainfall over southern China. With the eastward movement of the trough, the jet shape changed from two straight jets to a tilting jet over China and then it moved southward. With these variations, the south-north movement of ascending flow and precipitation area over southern China occurred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The propagation of wave packets and its relationship with the subtropical jet was investigated for the period 26-29 January 2008 over southern China using ECMWF Interim re-analysis data. Wave packets propagated from the north to the south side of an upper front with eastward development along the upper front during this period. Due to the eastward development of propagation, the acceleration of geostrophic westerly winds shifted eastward along the front. There were two primary sources of the propagation of wave packets at around 30°N. The first was the temperature inversion layer below 500 hPa, and the second was baroclinic zones located along the polarward flank of the subtropical jet in the middle and upper troposphere. Most wave packets propagated horizontally from the baroclinic zones and then converged on the zero meridional gradients of zonal winds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]