How well are we measuring snow: The NOAA/FAA/NCAR winter precipitation test bed

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) work together at the NCAR Marshall Field Site to understand the relative accuracies of different instrumentation, gauges, and windshield configurations to measure snowfall and other solid precipitation. Total solid precipitation and liquid equivalent snowfall rate are conventionally measured using precipitation gauges installed above the surface of the ground. Volumetric or non-weighing precipitation gauges catch falling snow in a collector. This collector is removed, the snow melted, and poured into a graduated cylinder for measurement. The timing and magnitude of snow events and persistence of SWE from the two methods at the Marshall Field Site test bed are fairly consistent. Measuring and modeling the airflow around shield gauge pairs has increased the researcher's understanding of the impact of wind shields on the airflow around the gauge. 32.