Data obtained using the Raman/Rayleigh/LIF technique in turbulent nonpremixed reacting flows behind a bluff-body are analyzed to study the behavior of conditionally averaged temperature and species mass fraction. In particular, their cross stream dependence in the elliptic region of the above flow fields is investigated from the conditional moment closure view. Analyses show that the conditional averages have a very weak dependence on the cross stream position in recirculation regions which are elliptic in nature. The weak cross stream dependence of the conditional averages has been established in previous studies for parabolic flows. ©1998 American Institute of Physics.