UAlbany Parsivel IMPACTS: Snowstorm Precipitation Data from a Disdrometer, 2020-2022

IMPACTS was a three-year field campaign studying snowstorms over the U.S. Atlantic Coast. The dataset contains precipitation data from a Parsivel2 disdrometer, including particle size distribution, fall speed, radar reflectivity, and precipitation rate. Files are available in netCDF-4 format from 30 January 2020 through 28 February 2022.

Use Cases

• Model snowband formation and evolution based on particle size distribution and fall speed data.
• Improve snowfall remote sensing interpretation based on radar reflectivity measurements.
• Analyze microphysical characteristics of snow particles across storm bands.
• Validate and improve numerical weather prediction models for snowfall.

Strengths

• Data collected during a dedicated three-year field campaign (IMPACTS).
• Includes multiple precipitation variables: particle size distribution, fall speed, radar reflectivity, and precipitation rate.
• Covers a specific time range from 30 January 2020 to 28 February 2022.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the U.S. Atlantic Coast study region.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected by a Parsivel2 disdrometer in support of the IMPACTS field campaign.

Time Range

30 January 2020 through 28 February 2022

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 19:39:21.188952; freshness should be verified.

Geography

U.S. Atlantic Coast