The National Weather Service Ceilometer Planetary Boundary Layer Project Update

The National Weather Service (NWS) is investigating the potential of utilizing the Automatic Surface Observing System's (ASOS) cloud base height indicator, the Vaisala CL31 ceilometer, to not only detect cloud bases but PBL height, smoke and volcanic ash layers, and air quality information. Field test sites of stand-alone CL31 ceilometers have been established, primarily around the Washington DC metropolitan area, with additional systems in the northeast, midwest, and southwest CONUS and Puerto Rico. This research will evaluate the viability of the almost 1000 systems across the United States in the ASOS network to perform the respective tasks mentioned above.