The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $1,107,345 Project Grant under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) to the University of Utah Office of Sponsored Projects Division to conduct a field campaign studying cloud and precipitation processes in the mountainous environment of Colorado. The "Snow Sensitivity to Clouds in a Mountain Environment (S2NOCLIME)" project will deploy a wide range of instrumentation, including radars, disdrometers, and weather balloon launches, to collect comprehensive data over the 2024-2025 winter season. The research aims to: 1) understand how large-scale conditions and water vapor transport impact snowfall characteristics in mountainous terrain, and 2) examine how terrain-modified cloud-aerosol interactions and cloud microphysical processes affect surface snowfall properties. The research team plans to analyze the data, incorporate numerical modeling, and share results with water resource managers, agricultural planners, and local communities to advance understanding of orographic snowfall processes. The project will also provide education and training opportunities at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels.
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