Precipitation Measurements in Oklahoma Using In-Situ and Remote Sensing Instrumentation

Phillip B. Chilson1, Guifu Zhang1, Terry Schuur2, Alexander Ryzhkov2, Laura Kanofsky2, Qing Cao2, and Matt Van Every2 (1) School of Meteorology & (2) Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK

Introduction PicoNet Stacked Doppler Spectra Understanding the microphysics of precipitation and A dense network of rain gauges is located at KFFL the atmosphere in which it forms and evolves is for studies of spatial variability of precipitation. The Snow Increased important to accurately estimate rainfall rates and minimum spacing within the network is 350 m, less SNR (Bright improve parameterizations in models that predict than the resolution volume of KOUN when Band) the weather. Therefore, the University of Oklahoma overlooking KFFL Transition

t Region

(OU) in collaboration with NOAA’s National Severe h g Storms Laboratory (NSSL) is building up a suite of i 2-D Video Disdrometer e instrumentation to measure the properties of H precipitation at the Kessler Farm Field Laboratory The 2-D Video Disdrometer (2DVD) is capable of (KFFL) in Central Oklahoma. KFFL is collocated measuring the size, shape, orientation, and fall Rain with the ARM Southern Great Plains Boundary speed of precipitation particles. It is used to Facility in Purcell. produce drop size distributions (DSDs).

Locations of the ground- Velocity based precipitation sensors 2DVD near the ARM KTLX at KFFL instrument shelter The transition across the melting layer of precipitation particles is readily seen in the normalized stacked PicoNet Site spectra plot from the Boundary Layer Radar (BLR). OU and KOUN / PAR When taken as a composite plot (as shown below) the

KFFL and ARM Boundary structure of the precipitation is revealed. Facility (Purcell) t h g Weather Radars i e

Three S-Band weather radars are used in the study H • NSSL Polarimetric Radar (KOUN) Typical KOUN resolution volume • NSSL/OU Phased Array Radar (PAR) • NOAA WSR-88D (KTLX) KFFL property boundary t h g

Kessler Farm Field Laboratory i e KFFL is operated and maintained OU and offers Profiling Radars H excellent infrastructure opportunities. Furthermore, the close proximity of KFFL to Norman, OK Vertically pointing profiling radars can be used to (location of three weather radars) makes it an ideal estimate the microphysical properties of Time location for joint precipitation studies. precipitation aloft. The particle fall speeds are directly obtained through the calculation of the Summary Instrumentation / Resources at KFFL Doppler spectrum, which can in turn be mapped Joint remote sensing and in-situ precipitation into a DSD. measurements are being conducted at KFFL in • NOAA Profiler Network Radar Central Oklahoma. These complementary data OU Boundary Layer Radar • OU UHF Boundary sources offer tremendous potential for studies of • OU PicoNet (Rain Gauge Network) Layer Radar (BLR) with precipitation microphysics and storm dynamics. • OU 2-D Video Disdrometer the ARM trailer in the Oklahoma Mesonet Station (Washington) • background The deployment of the BLR and 2DVD are • ARM Boundary Facility (Purcell) being hosted by the ARM Program.