Cloud Radar System (CRS) IMPACTS

The Cloud Radar System (CRS) IMPACTS dataset consists of calibrated radar reflectivity, Doppler velocity, linear depolarization ratio, and normalized radar cross-section estimates collected by the Cloud Radar System (CRS) onboard the NASA ER-2 high-altitude research aircraft. These data were gathered during the Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Snowstorms (IMPACTS) field campaign. IMPACTS was a three-year sequence of winter season deployments conducted to study snowstorms over the U.S. Atlantic Coast (2020-2023). The campaign aimed to (1) Provide observations critical to understanding the mechanisms of snowband formation, organization, and evolution; (2) Examine how the microphysical characteristics and likely growth mechanisms of snow particles vary across snowbands; and (3) Improve snowfall remote sensing interpretation and modeling to significantly advance prediction capabilities. The CRS IMPACTS dataset files are available from January 25, 2020, through February 28, 2023, in HDF-5 format.