QRAIN and QSNOW

The mixing ratios of QRAIN and QSNOW definitley exists IN the clouds, but now I wonder if they also exist outside the clouds on different levels? How are these variables integrated in time? I mean, are they integrated in time so that they fall down to a different level further down or are they immediately taken from the cloud to the ground from one timestep to another?

I am using the THOMPSON scheme and the Xu and Randall cloudfraction scheme.

Bests,

Martin

QRAIN and QSNOW may fall to different levels and experience growth due to accretion, or can decrease/disappear due to evaporation. They do not fall directly to the ground in one time step.