25SMOI The Impact of Urban Heat Island on Precipitation Patterns in the Greater Washington D.C. Region

This study investigates the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area by analyzing land surface temperature data from July 1 to August 31, 2020-2024. Leveraging data from the MODIS sensor aboard the Aqua Satellite, day and night land surface temperatures are used to quantify UHI intensity. The boundaries of the UHI will be visually defined, guiding the placement of two strategic in-situ disdrometer locations: the Howard University Interdisciplinary Research Building, situated near the UHI center, and the Howard University Beltsville Campus, located near the UHI edge. These disdrometers will provide detailed measurements of raindrop size and distribution, which assists understanding how the UHI might alter local precipitation characteristics.

To further explore these impacts, we will assess the UHI’s influence on local precipitation patterns by collecting precipitation data for the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore regions from the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) data archive. This data will be integrated with the in-situ measurements to validate trends in the UHI's influence on rainfall. The study aims to offer valuable insights into the dynamic nature of UHI effects on local precipitation patterns in the region