Particle Imaging on a Budget: Observations and Lessons Learned from OSCRE Deployments at SAIL and SPLASH

Two Open Snowflake Camera for Research and Education (OSCRE) units were deployed during the 2022-2023 winter at the SAIL and SPLASH sites located near Gothic, CO. OSCREs represent a shift to affordable hydrometeor imaging by using a singular machine vision camera paired to a high-speed LED strobe light. With each unit costing < $5K USD, meso/micronets of hydrometeors imagers are possible. This deployment represents the first time two OSCRE units have been deployed in proximity.

This presentation will showcase example images from the campaign and discuss challenges and lessons learned of the experience. While data collection was not perfect, snowflake imagery was obtained for portions of the winter at a low price point. Most issues arose due to network connectivity. Other issues included a LED strobe failing (bad luck) and unexpected lighting conditions due to scattering of light off of a bright snowpack. None of these issues are fatal flaws and this information will be used to refine the instrument for forthcoming campaigns.