Purdue-UMass Mobile Radar Observations Collected during VORTEX-Southeast 2016

Throughout March and April 2016, two mobile radar systems from the University of Massachusetts (UMass) were used to collect observations of the atmosphere over the VORTEX-Southeast Huntsville, Alabama, domain. The first, an S-band, FMCW profiling radar (UMass FMCW) was deployed near Belle Mina, Alabama. UMass FMCW collected close to eight weeks' worth of near-continuous boundary layer profiles of reflectivity from particles and refractive index turbulence, vertical velocity profiles, and associated Doppler spectra, at a vertical (temporal) resolution of 5 m (1 s) up to 5 km AGL. Comprehensive observations were obtained of convective boundary layer evolution, multiple frontal passages, melting layer evolution, bioscatterer activity, and at least one atmospheric undular bore. The second mobile radar, the UMass, X-band, polarimetric, mobile Doppler radar, was deployed at preselected sites during six VORTEX-Southeast Intensive Observing Periods (IOPs). Polarimetric, volumetric observations were obtained of convective storms, including at least two that went on to produce tornadoes within the VORTEX-Southeast domain. Challenges related to deployment of mobile radars in complex terrain will be addressed.