Measurement of Snowfall by Radar

1 April 1972

journal article
Published by American Meteorological Society in Journal of Applied Meteorology

Vol. 11 (3) , 494-500
https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0450(1972)011<0494:mosbr>2.0.co;2

Abstract

Using a CPS-9 radar (wavelength 3.2 cm, beamwidth 1°) in dry snow, radar returns from a layer at an average height of 5000 ft were converted to snowfall rates (taking Z∝R^2.0) and summed over 36 hr to obtain a map of snowfall amount. This has been compared with a “climat” map based on depth measurements of new fallen snow at 140 climatological stations within 100 mi of the radar, said amounts ranging from under 2 to over 10 inches. For the 5550 mi² area within 42 mi of the radar, the average amount by radar was set equal to the average climat amount. The radar/climat ratio was mapped, with the distribution being log normal. For ranges Z = aR^b, a value for b of 2.0 proved appropriate to this particular storm, with some evidence that a slightly higher value might have been a little better.

Keywords

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