GCPEx Radiosonde Atmospheric Profile Data for Snowfall Validation

Vaisala RS92 radiosondes collected vertical profiles of pressure, temperature, humidity, and winds during the GPM Cold-season Precipitation Experiment. This dataset was gathered at the CARE site in Ontario, Canada, from January 17 to February 29, 2012, to support NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement mission. The primary goal was to improve satellite-based snowfall retrieval algorithms by providing ground-truth atmospheric data.

Use Cases

• Validating satellite-derived snowfall estimates from the GPM mission by comparing with in-situ atmospheric profiles.
• Analyzing the vertical structure of temperature and humidity during winter precipitation events.
• Studying wind patterns and atmospheric stability in cold-season conditions in Ontario.
• Providing ground truth for coordinated model simulations of precipitating snow systems.

Strengths

• Data collection is focused on a specific, well-defined scientific campaign (GCPEx) with a clear objective to improve snowfall algorithms.
• Measurements include multiple coordinated atmospheric variables (pressure, temperature, humidity, winds) from a known instrument type (Vaisala RS92).
• The dataset has a precise and documented temporal coverage of 44 days during a critical cold-season period.

Limitations

• Exact row count, file size, and specific column names are not provided by any source, limiting precise technical assessment.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date, with one listing 2012-02 -29 and another listing 2026-03-13, suggesting potential metadata inconsistencies.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Measurements collected by Vaisala RS92 Radiosondes launched from the ground.

Time Range

January 17, 2012 through February 29, 2012

Freshness

2026-03-13 02:25:01.547664

Geography

CARE site in Ontario, Canada