SPLASH Field Study; Snow-level Radar FMCW Moments at Kettle Ponds, Colorado, 2021-09-29 to 2023-09-06 (NCEI Accession 0289123)

From fall 2021 through summer 2023, NOAA and research partners conducted a field study (SPLASH - the Study of Precipitation, the Lower Atmosphere and Surface for Hydrometeorology). This field study established a state-of-the-art observing network in the East River watershed of the Colorado mountains with a goal of advancing weather and water prediction capabilities in areas with complex terrain. The ultimate goal of this project is improved prediction of weather and water in the Colorado mountains and beyond to inform societal preparedness and response.

Among the measurements taken in this study were snow-level measurements, using a snow-level radar that utilizes modernized frequency-modulated, continuous wave (FM-CW) technology. Snow level, the altitude in the atmosphere where snow changes into rain, is a critical parameter influencing runoff in mountainous watersheds because it determines the surface area of the watershed that will be exposed to rain versus snow. When the snow level is above most or all of the terrain in a watershed, a storm is more likely to produce enough rapid runoff to cause flooding. If the snow level is low in a watershed, then a storm increases the snowpack, providing valuable storage of water for potential later use.

This archive contains the raw snow-level radar moments (reflectivity, radial velocity, spectral width, and related variables) at the Kettle Ponds, Colorado site.