Describing hydrometeor distributions in snowstorms

A team of researchers has recently studied hydrometeor distribution at the ground in snowstorms along the Front Range in eastern Colorado using a video disdrometer. The unit consists of two horizontally oriented line-scan cameras that provide orthogonal views of particles. Results from the observation showed that some adjustment may be required in relationships found between temperature and the concentration and slope parameters of assumed exponential particle size distributions (PSD). In addition, a relevant relationship for snowfalkes was found between the slope and shape terms of the gamma PSD model and that almost spherical aggregates having near-exponential or super-exponential size distribution dominate snowfalls and that raindrop distributions resulting from melted snowflakes were more peaked than that for snow.