Towards Hydrometeor Classification Through Deep Convective Storms Using ARM Facility Observations During the MC3E Campaign

With support from the ARM Climate Research Facility (ACRF) infrastructure, a network of scanning and profiling weather radar systems have been installed around the Southern Great Plains site in Lamont, Oklahoma. The first demonstration of these systems will take place during the Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E). One goal of these systems during this 2-month field campaign and for long term climatological studies is to provide new insights into deep convective storm precipitation microphysics.

Radar-based methods for precipitation type classification are presented and capitalize on the diverse collection of polarimetric scanning radar observations, profiling Doppler spectra and aircraft in situ observations during the experiment. Unique to ARM facilities during MC3E, ARM 915-MHz UHF wind profilers were also operated under a new sampling strategy designed to better capture deep convective cores to 15 km at high temporal and spatial resolution (6 second profiles, 100m resolution). A discussion on the usefulness of these modes is provided.