Assessing Convective‐Stratiform Precipitation Regimes in the Tropics and Extratropics With the GPM Satellite Radar

Abstract An 8‐year climatology of raintype observations from the Global Precipitation Measurement dual‐frequency precipitation radar highlights two stratiform rain producing storm regimes differentiated by the relative importance of convection. The more convectively active regime occurs in the tropics and over warm‐season midlatitude land, where warm‐ and cold‐topped convection accounts for 55% (40%) of the rain (rain area). The less convectively active regime dominates over midlatitude ocean and cold‐season midlatitude land, where convective rain only accounts for 15% (8%) of the rain (rain area). The ratio between cold‐topped convective and stratiform rain area is highly distinct between the two regimes (22% vs. 5.5%), with different precipitation amounts (and thus heating) for similar stratiform rain areas. A third tropics‐only warm‐topped convection regime exists, but is not associated with major stratiform rain production.