WINTRE-MIX: Winter Precipitation Type Research Multi-scale Experiment

Summary

During near-freezing surface conditions, a diversity of surface precipitation types (p-types) are possible, including: rain, drizzle, freezing rain, freezing drizzle, wet snow, ice pellets, and snow. Such near-freezing precipitation affects wide swaths of the United States and Canada, impacting aviation, road transportation, power generation and distribution, winter recreation, ecology, and hydrology. These events are shaped by diverse synoptic, mesoscale, and microscale processes, and are expected to change as the climate warms. Fundamental challenges remain in our ability to adequately observe, diagnose, simulate, and forecast them, especially when dealing with transitions between p-types and regions of complex terrain.To address these challenges, we propose to conduct the Winter Precipitation Type Research Multi-scale Experiment (WINTRE-MIX) with the overarching goal to better understand how multi-scale processes influence the variability and predictability of p-type and amount under near-freezing surface conditions. The experiment will be conducted near Montreal, Canada during February - March 2022.