Mobile Doppler Measurements of Mountain Weather during MEDOW

From 29 March-8 April 2016, Millersville University hosted two Doppler on Wheels (DOW) units through the NCAR Earth Observing Laboratory's educational deployment program. Due to Millersville's location in the Piedmont region of southeast Pennsylvania, the presence of the DOW's allowed for radar data to be collected during weather events that were influenced by the local topography. This presentation describes this topographic setting, how it can impact the observed weather, and the results and preliminary analysis obtained during the Millersville University Educational DOW (MEDOW) project.

The study area is located halfway between the Delaware River running through Philadelphia to the east and the peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west. The total elevation gain of over 600 m along the 250 km section results in upslope enhancement of precipitation for easterly flow. Conversly, strong westerly flows can trigger trains of lee waves from the Blue Ridge Mountains that extend downstream past the Millersville area. On a smaller scale, a number of hills and valleys exist along this rise, including the nearby Sesquehama River which is a favored area of lingering fog that may dissipate under the influence of thermally-driven circulations. The presence of these regimes were monitored during weather briefings that are routinely carried out as part of the campus weather service.