Lake Effect Snow: A Combined Micro Rain Radar and Microphysical Analysis

Physically, lake effect snow and ice precipitation are driven by boundary layer interactions and mechanisms. These mechanisms are not well parameterized by models, nor is this shallow precipitation always accurately observed by satellite-based sensors. By using ground-based remote sensing and surface observations, combined radar and microphysical characteristics of the lake effect precipitation are identified and statistical knowledge gained. Located on the southern shore of Lake Superior, Marquette, Michigan gets an average of over 150 inches of snow each winter and much of that precipitation is in the form of Lake Effect and orographically enhanced snow. A Micro Rain Radar (MRR) and a Precipitation Imaging Package (PIP) were installed in the winter 2013/2014 with intentions of gathering at least three seasons of winter data. For this study, collocated surface observations from the NWS Davis Weather Station are used and interpolated to the data from the MRR and the PIP. Specific case studies of interest are illustrated and MRR contoured frequency by altitude diagrams (CFADs) are produced to show general precipitation statistics from the site. Systematic differences between lake effect and synoptically-driven snowfall events will be highlighted, as well as lake effect snow radar and microphysical differences that depend on environmental factors (e.g., wind speed, wind direction, lake ice coverage).