The effect of the subtropical jet on the rainfall over southern China in January 2008.

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]