Frontal Structure Effects on Precipitation Microphysics in South China Rain Cells

Abstract Frontal and warm‐sector rainfall are typical precipitation types in South China during the pre‐summer rainy season. However, current classification methods mostly rely on subjective judgment. The precipitation microphysical traits of rain cells in South China during the pre‐summer rainy season were investigated using 8 years of observations from a spaceborne precipitation radar. We segment regions every 100 km ahead of the front, resulting in four areas (0–100, 100–200, 200–300, and >300 km). Convection thrives in rain cells located 0–100 and 200–300 km ahead of the front, but is suppressed in the other two areas. Rain cells in the 0–100 km area exhibit dominant ice‐phase processes, with the highest raindrop concentration and smallest raindrops. However, rain cells in the 200–300 km area are characterized by the coexistence of liquid‐ and ice‐phase processes, yielding the largest raindrops. These findings provide valuable insights into the precipitation microphysics ahead fronts in South China in the pre‐summer rainy season.