Nocturnal Convection Along a Trailing-End Cold Front: Insights from Ground-Based Remote Sensing Observations

This study examines a convergence event at the trailing end of a cold front observed in the United States’ Southern Great Plains region on 28 September 1997, using an array of in situ and remote sensing instruments. The event exhibited a structure with elevated divergence near 3 km AGL and moisture transport over both warm and cold sectors. Data from Raman lidar (RL), Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI), and Radar Wind Profilers (RWP) were used to characterize vertical profiles of the event, revealing the presence of a narrow moist updraft, horizontal moisture advection, and cloud development ahead of the front. Convection parameters, Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) and Convective Inhibition (CIN), were derived from collocated AERI and RL. Regions of high CAPE were aligned with areas of high moisture, indicating that convection was more favorable at moist elevated levels than near the surface. RWP observations revealed vorticity structures consistent with existing theories. This study highlights the value of high-resolution, continuous profiling from remote sensors to resolve mesoscale processes and evaluate convection potential. The event underscores the role of elevated moisture and wind shear in modulating convection initiation along a trailing-end cold front boundary where mesoscale and synoptic forces interact.