Extended Abstract (452K)P3.18
Snow gauge performance during the Denver blizzards of December, 2006
Scott D. Landolt, NCAR, Boulder, CO; and J. L. Black, R. M. Rasmussen, and A. W. Tripp
In the latter half of December 2006, Denver, Colorado experienced two blizzards just over a week apart. The first blizzard on December 20th-21st, brought several feet of snow to the area and forced the complete shutdown of Denver International Airport (DIA). The second blizzard on December 28th-29th, added an additional couple feet of snow.
Two research sites equipped with snow gauges at both DIA and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Marshall test site, (located just south of Boulder, CO), collected 1-minute observations of Liquid Water Equivalent (LWE) measurements during both storms. Instrumentation at the Marshall site included Hotplate snow gauges, DFIR-shielded and Alter-shielded GEONORs. Instrumentation at the DIA site included an ASOS standard AWPAG OTT gauge, DFIR-shielded and Alter-shielded GEONORs. An analysis of the data from both sites will be presented. Additionally, transfer functions will be derived utilizing the data collected by the instruments during the unusually high winds from the blizzard events, as well as other snow events throughout the winter season. These transfer functions will be evaluated using various snow events for both the Alter-shielded GEONOR and the OTT gauge using data collected by the DFIR-shielded GEONORS as truth.
Poster Session 3, Turbulence, Volcanic Ash, and Instrumentation Posters
Wednesday, 23 January 2008, 2:30 PM-4:00 PM, Exhibit Hall B
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