High temporal and spatial resolution measurement of hydrometeor mass for automated assessment of precipitation rate and type

The DOE Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program is engaged in long-term measurements at Barrow and Oliktok Pt. Alaska of precipitation climatologies and physical processes. The Particle Flux Analytics Inc. (PFA) Multi Angle Snowflake Camera (MASC) has been operating at Oliktok Point since 2015 providing the ARM community with unprecedented information about hydrometeor structure, size, and fallspeed. No technology currently exists to provide the remaining critically needed precipitation quanitities of frozen hydrometeor mass, density, and precipitation rate. This Phase I STTR effort aims to accelerate development of the SnowPixel, an advanced ground-based, self-contained, hockey-puck sized precipitation and wind sensor. The instrument basis is a high density array of individually insulated micro-hotplates that provides a video image of cooling signatures created by winds and hydrometeor evaporation. Signal analysis yields statistics for the mass, frequency, and microstructure of individual snow and rain particles, precipitation rate and type, and the direction and speed of wind gusts. In Phase II Particle Flux Analytics aims to develop a) a new precipitation sensor for measurement of high-latitude precipitation and b) a disruptive entry to the weather station market that offers the potential for densely networked arrays of sophisticated small, automated, meteorological sensors for the weather, agricultural, insurance, military, and transportation safety sectors.