Measurement and Characterization of Winter Precipitation at Wallops Island Snow Field Site

We present our ongoing studies of physical and scattering properties of ice particles in winter precipitation combining delicate optical, electronic, and mechanical surface instrumentation and state-of-the-art radars. We outline integrated field measurements, followed by analysis, at the NASA Precipitation Research Facility Wallops Island, Virginia. Accurate measurements and characterization of snowflakes and snowfall are crucial for advancement of numerical weather prediction models and in the correct interpretation of data from the national network of weather radars.