Articles | Volume 16, issue 17
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4081-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Special issue:
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4081-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
11 Sep 2023
Research article |
| 11 Sep 2023
| 11 Sep 2023
Assessing Arctic low-level clouds and precipitation from above – a radar perspective
Imke Schirmacher
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Institute for Geophysics and Meteorology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
Pavlos Kollias
Department of Environmental and Climate Sciences, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Stony Brook, NY, USA
School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
Katia Lamer
Department of Environmental and Climate Sciences, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Stony Brook, NY, USA
Mario Mech
Institute for Geophysics and Meteorology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
Lukas Pfitzenmaier
Institute for Geophysics and Meteorology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
Manfred Wendisch
Institute for Meteorology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
Susanne Crewell
Institute for Geophysics and Meteorology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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Cited
16 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Orbital-Radar v1.0.0: a tool to transform suborbital radar observations to synthetic EarthCARE cloud radar data L. Pfitzenmaier et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-101-2025
- Improved hydrometeor detection near the Earth's surface by a conically scanning spaceborne W-band radar M. Coppola et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-5071-2025
- The prevalence of Arctic multilayer clouds and their observed and modelled characteristics G. Wallentin et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-3069-2026
- Clouds and precipitation in the initial phase of marine cold-air outbreaks as observed by airborne remote sensing I. Schirmacher et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12823-2024
- Thermodynamic and cloud evolution in a cold-air outbreak during HALO-(AC)3: quasi-Lagrangian observations compared to the ERA5 and CARRA reanalyses B. Kirbus et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-3883-2024
- Overview: quasi-Lagrangian observations of Arctic air mass transformations – introduction and initial results of the HALO–(𝒜 𝒞)3 aircraft campaign M. Wendisch et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-8865-2024
- Contrasting extremely warm and long-lasting cold air anomalies in the North Atlantic sector of the Arctic during the HALO-(𝒜 𝒞)3 campaign A. Walbröl et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-8007-2024
- Riming-dependent snowfall rate and ice water content retrievals for W-band cloud radar N. Maherndl et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3287-2025
- Air mass history linked to the development of Arctic mixed-phase clouds R. Murray-Watson & E. Gryspeerdt https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11115-2024
- Regional and seasonal distribution of Arctic low-level cloud types and their relationship to large-scale environmental conditions A. Dziduch et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-4019-2026
- Airborne observations of cloud properties during their evolution from organized streets to isotropic cloud structures along an Arctic cold-air outbreak M. Klingebiel et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-9787-2025
- Evaluation of Polar-WRF microphysics schemes for simulations of lower atmospheric processes in the Svalbard region, Arctic Z. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2025.108597
- Occurrence of seeding multi-layer clouds in the Arctic from ground-based observations P. Achtert et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-3049-2026
- Modeling and analysis of winter arctic clouds and their radiative impacts using three microphysics schemes in polar-WRF Z. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2026.109059
- How does riming influence the observed spatial variability of ice water in mixed-phase clouds? N. Maherndl et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13935-2024
- Evaluation of biases in mid-to-high-latitude surface snowfall and cloud phase in ERA5 and CMIP6 using satellite observations F. Hellmuth et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1353-2025
16 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Orbital-Radar v1.0.0: a tool to transform suborbital radar observations to synthetic EarthCARE cloud radar data L. Pfitzenmaier et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-101-2025
- Improved hydrometeor detection near the Earth's surface by a conically scanning spaceborne W-band radar M. Coppola et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-5071-2025
- The prevalence of Arctic multilayer clouds and their observed and modelled characteristics G. Wallentin et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-3069-2026
- Clouds and precipitation in the initial phase of marine cold-air outbreaks as observed by airborne remote sensing I. Schirmacher et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12823-2024
- Thermodynamic and cloud evolution in a cold-air outbreak during HALO-(AC)3: quasi-Lagrangian observations compared to the ERA5 and CARRA reanalyses B. Kirbus et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-3883-2024
- Overview: quasi-Lagrangian observations of Arctic air mass transformations – introduction and initial results of the HALO–(𝒜 𝒞)3 aircraft campaign M. Wendisch et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-8865-2024
- Contrasting extremely warm and long-lasting cold air anomalies in the North Atlantic sector of the Arctic during the HALO-(𝒜 𝒞)3 campaign A. Walbröl et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-8007-2024
- Riming-dependent snowfall rate and ice water content retrievals for W-band cloud radar N. Maherndl et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3287-2025
- Air mass history linked to the development of Arctic mixed-phase clouds R. Murray-Watson & E. Gryspeerdt https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11115-2024
- Regional and seasonal distribution of Arctic low-level cloud types and their relationship to large-scale environmental conditions A. Dziduch et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-4019-2026
- Airborne observations of cloud properties during their evolution from organized streets to isotropic cloud structures along an Arctic cold-air outbreak M. Klingebiel et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-9787-2025
- Evaluation of Polar-WRF microphysics schemes for simulations of lower atmospheric processes in the Svalbard region, Arctic Z. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2025.108597
- Occurrence of seeding multi-layer clouds in the Arctic from ground-based observations P. Achtert et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-3049-2026
- Modeling and analysis of winter arctic clouds and their radiative impacts using three microphysics schemes in polar-WRF Z. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2026.109059
- How does riming influence the observed spatial variability of ice water in mixed-phase clouds? N. Maherndl et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13935-2024
- Evaluation of biases in mid-to-high-latitude surface snowfall and cloud phase in ERA5 and CMIP6 using satellite observations F. Hellmuth et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1353-2025
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 03 Jun 2026
Short summary
CloudSat’s relatively coarse spatial resolution, low sensitivity, and blind zone limit its assessment of Arctic low-level clouds, which affect the surface energy balance. We compare cloud fractions from CloudSat and finely resolved airborne radar observations to determine CloudSat’s limitations. Cloudsat overestimates cloud fractions above its blind zone, especially during cold-air outbreaks over open water, and misses a cloud fraction of 32 % and half of the precipitation inside its blind zone.
CloudSat’s relatively coarse spatial resolution, low sensitivity, and blind zone limit its...
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