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false color satellite image of snowstorm on the US East coast
image of snowstorm along US east coast
image of snowstorm along the US east coast

IMPACTS

Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Snowstorms

The Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Snowstorms (IMPACTS) studied snowstorms along the eastern seaboard of the United States. Atmospheric phenomena of narrow strips of heavy snow, called snow bands, have a great impact on this area of the country. In order to better understand the formation of these snow bands and improve forecasts of these extreme weather events, IMPACTS flew the ER-2 and P-3 aircraft carrying a full suite of remote sensing and in-situ instruments in three deployments, each lasting six weeks. 

In addition, IMPACTS utilized ground-based radar and rawinsonde data; multiple NASA and NOAA satellites, including GPM, GOES-16, and the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS); and computer simulations. IMPACTS was the first mission to specifically focus on East Coast U.S. snowfall and winter storms with a full suite of modern instruments.

The IMPACTS team won the NASA Presidential Rank Group Achievement Award.

 

The three objectives of IMPACTS were:

  • Characterize the spatial and temporal scales and structures of snowbands in Northeast US winter storms
  • Understand the dynamical, thermodynamical, and microphysical processes that produce the observed structures
  • Apply this understanding of the structures and underlying processes to improve remote sensing and modeling of snowfall
Study DatesDecember 31, 2019 - March 2, 2020
RegionEastern United States
Phenomena StudiedSnow bands

ER-2 Aircraft: Remote Sensing Instruments

InstrumentOrganization

 

Cloud Radar System (CRS)

 

Goddard Space Flight Center

 

High-altitude Imaging Wind & Rain Airborne Profiler (HIWRAP)

 

Goddard Space Flight Center

 

ER-2 X-Band Doppler Radar (EXRAD)

 

Goddard Space Flight Center

 

Conical Scanning Millimeter-wave Imaging Radiometer (CoSMIR)

 

Goddard Space Flight Center

 

Advanced Microwave Precipitation Radiometer (AMPR)

 

Marshall Space Flight Center

 

Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL)

 

Goddard Space Flight Center

 

Lightning Instrument Package (LIP)

 

Marshall Space Flight Center

P-3 Aircraft: in-situ Instruments

InstrumentOrganization

 

Cloud-Droplet Probe (CDP)

 

 

UND

 

 

Cloud, Aerosol and Precipitation Spectrometer (CAPS)

 

 

UND

 

 

2D-S Probe (2D-S)

 

 

UND

 

 

High Volume Precipitation Sampler-3 (HVPS-3)

 

 

UND

 

 

Nevzorov Probe

 

 

UND

 

 

King Probe

 

 

UND

 

 

Hawkeye Probe

 

 

Goddard Space Flight Center

 

 

Rosemount Icing Probe

 

 

UND

 

 

Water Isotope System for Precipitation and Entrainment Research (WISPER)

 

 

OSU

 

 

Turbulent Air Motion Measurement System (TAMMS)

 

 

Langley Research Center

 

 

Advanced Vertical Atmospheric Profiling System (AVAPS)

 

 

National Center for Atmospheric Research

 

Access a list of publications, conference proceedings, theses, reports, and special issues that relate to the IMPACTS campaign.

Learn more about the IMPACTS field campaign at NASA's Earth Science Project Office.