An Airborne Comparison of Three PMS Probes

Abstract
The 1977–78 Sierra Cooperative Pilot Project (SCPP) field season offered an opportunity for comparing several Particle Measuring Systems (PMS) probes. During that winter the University of Wyoming's King Air aircraft was instrumented with 1D cloud, 2D cloud and 2D precipitation probes. Data from the three probes were analyzed from several flights in stable oregraphic storms. Various temperature levels (and hence, hydrometeor habits) above and below 0°C were flown in order to compare the data for water drops and for different ice crystal habits. It was found that all three probes agree quite well when sampling water drops of any size; however, when sampling ice crystals the probes agreed only at sizes larger than about 1 mm. Abstract The 1977–78 Sierra Cooperative Pilot Project (SCPP) field season offered an opportunity for comparing several Particle Measuring Systems (PMS) probes. During that winter the University of Wyoming's King Air aircraft was instrumented with 1D cloud, 2D cloud and 2D precipitation probes. Data from the three probes were analyzed from several flights in stable oregraphic storms. Various temperature levels (and hence, hydrometeor habits) above and below 0°C were flown in order to compare the data for water drops and for different ice crystal habits. It was found that all three probes agree quite well when sampling water drops of any size; however, when sampling ice crystals the probes agreed only at sizes larger than about 1 mm.

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