Editing Downburst (section)

=== Wet microbursts ===
[[File:Downburst 1.jpg|thumb|A wet microburst]]

Wet microbursts are downbursts accompanied by significant precipitation at the surface.<ref name="fuj85">* [[Ted Fujita|Fujita, T.T.]] (1985). "The Downburst, microburst and macroburst". SMRP Research Paper 210, 122 pp.</ref> These downbursts rely more on the drag of precipitation for downward acceleration of [[Air parcel|parcels]] as well as the negative [[buoyancy]] which tend to drive "dry" microbursts. As a result, higher [[mixing ratio]]s are necessary for these downbursts to form (hence the name "wet" microbursts). Melting of ice, particularly [[hail]], appears to play an important role in downburst formation (Wakimoto and Bringi, 1988),{{Full citation needed|date=April 2025}} especially in the lowest {{convert|1|km|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} above surface level.<ref>Proctor, 1989</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=April 2025}} These factors, among others, make [[Weather forecasting|forecasting]] wet microbursts difficult.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! '''Characteristic'''
! '''Dry Microburst'''
! '''Wet Microburst'''
|-
| '''Location of highest probability within the United States'''
| [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]] / [[Western United States|West]]
| [[Southeastern United States|Southeast]]
|-
| '''Precipitation'''
| Little or none
| Moderate or heavy
|-
| '''Cloud bases'''
| As high as 500 hPa (mb)
| As high as 850 hPa (mb)
|-
| '''Features below cloud base'''
| [[Virga]]
| [[Precipitation shaft]]
|-
| '''Primary catalyst'''
| Evaporative cooling
| Precipitation loading and evaporative cooling
|-
| '''Environment below cloud base'''
| Deep dry layer/low relative humidity/dry adiabatic lapse rate
| Shallow dry layer/high relative humidity/moist adiabatic lapse rate
|-
|}