Alpine Precipitation Type and Amount Measurements

Laser optical disdrometer data from Gotschnagrat, Switzerland measures precipitation amount and classifies eight hydrometeor types. The dataset covers a six-week period from February 11 to March 27, 2019. It was collected by ENVIDAT using a Parsivel² instrument.

Use Cases

• Classify precipitation type (rain, hail, snow, drizzle, hybrid forms) from laser extinction measurements.
• Analyze temporal patterns of precipitation amount over the six-week observation period at Gotschnagrat.
• Correlate precipitation type with synoptic weather conditions for the specified alpine location.
• Validate remote sensing precipitation products using ground-based disdrometer measurements of hydrometeor type.

Strengths

• Data includes classification of eight specific hydrometeor types (e.g., rain, hail, snow).
• Measurements are from a single, precisely geolocated site (LON: 9.849, LAT: 46.859).

Limitations

• Limited temporal coverage of approximately six weeks, insufficient for seasonal or long-term climate analysis.
• Data is from a single geographic point, limiting spatial representativeness.
• Sample size (number of rows/observations) is unknown, preventing assessment of statistical robustness.

Provenance

Source

ENVIDAT, accessed via NASA Earthdata.

Collection Method

Measured by a deployed laser optical disdrometer (Parsivel², OTT Hydromet) using extinction of a laser beam.

Time Range

February 11, 2019 to March 27, 2019.

Freshness

Data is from 2019, with a metadata last update in 2020.

Geography

Gotschnagrat, Switzerland (LON: 9.849, LAT: 46.859).