Applications of Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in Winter Precipitation-Type Forecasts

Details

• Journal Title:
  Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology
• Personal Author:
  Tripp, Daniel D. ; Martin, Elinor R. ; Reeves, Heather D.
• NOAA Program & Office:
  CIMMS (Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies) ; OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research) ; NSSL (National Severe Storms Laboratory)
• Description:
  Temperature and humidity profiles in the lowest 3 km of the atmosphere provide crucial information in determining the precipitation type, which aids forecasters in relaying winter-weather risks. In response to the challenges associated with forecasting mixed-phase environments, this study employs uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) to explore the efficacy of high-resolution temporal and vertical measurements in winter-weather environments. On 19 February 2019, boundary layer measurements of an Oklahoma winter storm were collected by a UAV and radiosondes. UAV observations show a pronounced surface-based subfreezing layer that corresponds to observed ice pellets at the surface. This is in contrast to the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) model analyses, which show a subfreezing layer near the surface that is 3°C warmer than both the UAV and radiosonde observations. Using a spectral-bin-microphysics algorithm designed to provide hydrometeor-phase diagnosis throughout the vertical column, it was found that UAV measurements can improve discrimination between hydrometer types in environments near 0°C. A numerical-modeling study of the same winter-weather event illustrates the potential benefit of vertically sampling a mixed-phase environment at multiple mesonet sites and highlights future scientific and operational questions to be addressed by the UAV community.
• Keywords:
  Freezing Precipitation Mixed Precipitation Winter Freezing Precipitation Mixed Precipitation
• Source:
  Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 60(3), 361-375
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-20-0047.1
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  Grant no. NA16OAR4320115
• Rights Information:
  Other
• Compliance:
  Submitted
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:5a1272fcc9226a73a614bfabcf79e36017b232d72128998d07cb4350f70926c9
• Download URL:
  https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/31788/noaa_31788_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 4.10 MB ]