Because of the scarcity of meteorological observations, the precipitation climate on the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding regions (TP) has been insufficiently documented so far. In this study, the characteristics and basic features of precipitation on the TP during an 11-yr period (2001-11) are described on monthly-to-annual time scales. For this purpose, a new high-resolution atmospheric dataset is analyzed, the High Asia Reanalysis (HAR), generated by dynamical downscaling of global analysis data using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The HAR precipitation data at 30-and 10-km resolutions are compared with both rain gauge observations and satellite-based precipitation estimates from the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM). It is found that the HAR reproduces previously reported spatial patterns and seasonality of precipitation and that the highresolution data add value regarding snowfall retrieval, precipitation frequency, and orographic precipitation. It is demonstrated that this process-based approach, despite some unavoidable shortcomings, can improve the understanding of the processes that lead to precipitation on the TP. Analysis focuses on precipitation amounts, type, seasonality, and interannual variability. Special attention is given to the links between the observed patterns and regional atmospheric circulation. As an example of an application of the HAR, a new classification of glaciers on the TP according to their accumulation regimes is proposed, which illustrates the strong spatial variability of precipitation seasonality. Finally, directions for future research are identified based on the HAR, which has the potential to be a useful dataset for climate, glaciological, and hydrological impact studies.

Abstract. The Tibetan Plateau (TP) plays a key role in the water cycle of high Asia and its downstream regions. The respective influence of the Indian and East Asian summer monsoon on TP precipitation and regional water resources, together with the detection of moisture transport pathways and source regions are the subject of recent research. In this study, we present a 12-year high-resolution climatology of the atmospheric water transport (AWT) over and towards the TP using a new data set, the High Asia Refined analysis (HAR), which better represents the complex topography of the TP and surrounding high mountain ranges than coarse-resolution data sets. We focus on spatiotemporal patterns, vertical distribution and transport through the TP boundaries. The results show that the mid-latitude westerlies have a higher share in summertime AWT over the TP than assumed so far. Water vapour (WV) transport constitutes the main part, whereby transport of water as cloud particles (CP) also plays a role in winter in the Karakoram and western Himalayan regions. High mountain valleys in the Himalayas facilitate AWT from the south, whereas the high mountain regions inhibit AWT to a large extent and limit the influence of the Indian summer monsoon. No transport from the East Asian monsoon to the TP could be detected. Our results show that 36.8 ± 6.3 % of the atmospheric moisture needed for precipitation comes from outside the TP, while the remaining 63.2 % is provided by local moisture recycling.

Abstract. The Tibetan Plateau (TP) is the origin of many large Asian rivers, which provide water resources for large regions in south and east Asia. Therefore, the water cycle on the TP and adjacent high mountain ranges, in particular the precipitation distribution and variability play an important role for the water availability for billions of people in the downstream regions of the TP. The High Asia Refined analysis (HAR) is used to analyse the dynamical factors that influence precipitation variability in the TP region, including the factors resulting in the enhancement and suppression of precipitation. Four dynamical fields that can influence precipitation are considered: the 300 hPa wind speed and wind speed 2 km above ground, the 300 hPa vertical wind speed, and the atmospheric water transport. The study focusses on the seasonality and the spatial variability of the precipitation controls and their dominant patterns. Results show that different factors have different effects on precipitation in different regions and seasons. This depends mainly on the dominant type of precipitation, i.e. convective or frontal/cyclonic precipitation. Additionally, the study reveals that the midlatitude westerlies have a high impact on the precipitation distribution on the TP and its surroundings year-round and not only in winter.

Mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) are organized convective storm complexes, which extend over several 100°km and produce large areas of convective and stratiform precipitation (Houze, 2004). MCSs have more complex dynamics than unicellular convective storms, but are primarily defined by their spatial extent (Houze, 2004). Many different forces can drive mesoscale organisation of convection. Thus, the structure and precipitation characteristics of MCSs can take different forms depending on the region of genesis and underlying processes. In the continental mid-latitudes, MCSs often occur in areas downstream regions of high-altitude regions, as MCS formation is related to mountain flow dynamics. On the leeside of the Rocky Mountains (over the Great Plains)