Arctic observations and numerical simulations of surface wind effects on Multi-Angle Snowflake Camera measurements

Fitch, Kyle E.; Hang, Chaoxun; Talaei, Ahmad; Garrett, Timothy J.

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-1127-2021

Articles | Volume 14, issue 2

https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-1127-2021

© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-1127-2021

© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 14, issue 2

Research article

|

12 Feb 2021

Research article |

| 12 Feb 2021

Arctic observations and numerical simulations of surface wind effects on Multi-Angle Snowflake Camera measurements

Kyle E. Fitch, Chaoxun Hang, Ahmad Talaei, and Timothy J. Garrett

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Final revised paper (published on 12 Feb 2021)
Preprint (discussion started on 03 Sep 2020)

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment

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- Supplement

RC1: 'Review of "Numerical simulations and Arctic observations of surface wind effects on Multi-Angle Snowflake Camera measurements"', Silvio Schmalfuß, 24 Sep 2020
- AC1: 'Response to RC1', Kyle Fitch, 27 Nov 2020
RC2: 'Review', Anonymous Referee #2, 13 Oct 2020
- AC2: 'Response to RC2', Kyle Fitch, 27 Nov 2020
RC3: 'Review of AMT-2020-296', Anonymous Referee #3, 15 Oct 2020
- AC3: 'Response to RC3', Kyle Fitch, 27 Nov 2020

Peer-review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision

AR by Kyle Fitch on behalf of the Authors (09 Dec 2020) Author's response Manuscript

ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (15 Dec 2020) by Maximilian Maahn

RR by Silvio Schmalfuß (27 Dec 2020)

ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (05 Jan 2021) by Maximilian Maahn

AR by Kyle Fitch on behalf of the Authors (06 Jan 2021) Author's response Author's tracked changes Manuscript

ED: Publish as is (07 Jan 2021) by Maximilian Maahn

Short summary

Snow measurements are very sensitive to wind. Here, we compare airflow and snowfall simulations to Arctic observations for a Multi-Angle Snowflake Camera to show that measurements of fall speed, orientation, and size are accurate only with a double wind fence and winds below 5 m s⁻¹. In this case, snowflakes tend to fall with a nearly horizontal orientation; the largest flakes are as much as 5 times more likely to be observed. Adjustments are needed for snow falling in naturally turbulent air.