{"id":24464,"date":"2022-03-15T17:18:46","date_gmt":"2022-03-15T22:18:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/?p=24464"},"modified":"2024-07-11T15:23:19","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T20:23:19","slug":"blizzards-bring-em-on-some-at-und-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/2022\/03\/blizzards-bring-em-on-some-at-und-say\/","title":{"rendered":"Research team’s wish: Let it snow … and snow … and snow"},"content":{"rendered":"

UND\u2019s winter-weather scientists thrive in blizzards’ snow, wind and cold<\/h4>\n
\"\"
Near Clifford Hall, UND associate professor Aaron Kennedy and his students launch a weather balloon during a blizzard. It will transmit data to a NASA weather satellite to assist in the development of more accurate computer models. Photo by Mike Hess\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Many residents of the Red River Valley in eastern North Dakota probably agree that experiencing blizzard after blizzard during the winter of 2021-22 has pegged their BS meters \u2014 Blowing Snow, that is \u2014 completely off the dial.<\/p>\n

However, if your job is to study Blowing Snow, then these past winter months begin to look more like a winter wonderland and less like prolonged torture.<\/p>\n

Yes, Virginia, there are people who actually enjoy a good blizzard<\/a> with zero visibility, blowing snow and wind chills far below zero.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Aaron Kennedy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s as if Aaron Kennedy<\/a>, associate professor in the University of North Dakota Department of Atmospheric Sciences<\/a>, and his students can\u2019t get enough bad weather. In the summer, they chase severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. In the winter, their interest turns to blizzards.<\/p>\n

When you see Kennedy and his students outside Clifford Hall in a raging blizzard launching a weather balloon while everyone else is more than happy to stay warm and cozy inside, you know it can\u2019t get much worse.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t feel sorry for them. They like it.<\/p>\n

Winter work ethic<\/h2>\n

\u201cWhen UND closes, we go to work,\u201d Kennedy explained, before adding with a laugh, \u201cWe need jackets with that motto.\u201d<\/p>\n

Talia Kurtz, a first-year master\u2019s student from Reno, Nevada, grew up experiencing snow and cold during occasional drives with her grandparents over the Sierra Nevada mountains. She\u2019s accomplished her goal of surviving a blizzard and has made a point of walking in all eight of the named blizzards Grand Forks has experienced this winter.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore coming to UND, I\u2019d never launched a weather balloon,\u201d Kurtz confessed. \u201cThe first blizzard we launched a balloon in, I showed up looking like a pink abominable snowman. It\u2019s been really fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, the research Kennedy and his group conduct has a serious purpose. Their objective is to make the models the National Weather Service<\/a> (NWS) and other meteorologists use to forecast severe winter weather more accurate and more reliable. In particular, their focus is on the blowing snow events that are not only dangerous, but also difficult to predict.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The series of blizzards that hit the Red River Valley in eastern North Dakota this winter were mainly ground blizzards caused by blowing snow. Several accidents on the Interstate highways involving multiple vehicles highlighted the need for accurate and reliable forecasts to warn drivers of hazardous conditions. North Dakota Highway Patrol photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re demonstrating new observation technologies that could potentially be incorporated into the forecasting workspace,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cWe have cameras that take tons of pictures of snowflakes and instruments already deployed at airports around the region that could provide data currently going unused.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to show that these instruments are now at a price point that they could conceivably be deployed to provide information on blowing snow and what\u2019s falling from the sky to help monitor conditions in real time,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

This winter, most of the blizzards experienced in the Red River Valley have been ground blizzards created by blowing snow. They usually last less than a day and produce little snowfall. But because they occur close to the earth\u2019s surface where they\u2019re difficult to observe with radar, they\u2019re not well understood, which makes accurately forecasting them a challenge.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I told my family my research was in blowing snow, my sister said, \u2018How difficult can it be? Wind goes whoosh. Snow goes whoosh,\u2019\u201d said Alec Sczepanski, a first year Ph.D. student from Lancaster, N.Y.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s a lot more complex than that,\u201d he noted. \u201cThere are many variables that go into predicting and trying to figure out where and when it\u2019s going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking for validation<\/h2>\n

That\u2019s where the work of Aaron Scott, an atmospheric science Ph.D. student from Ardmore, Oklahoma, enters the picture. He\u2019s working to validate computer models of blowing snow events in North Dakota.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m looking at how we can get an operational model for North Dakota to forecast ground blizzards, which are lofting snow that\u2019s not precipitating from a cloud,\u201d he explained. \u201cWe\u2019re looking to incorporate this with the National Weather Service and possibly other operational meteorologists who are interested.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kennedy\u2019s research group is involved in two separate winter weather research projects. One is a $457,000, two-year project funded the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration<\/a> (NOAA) in collaboration with Norman Wood, a scientist at the University of Wisconsin<\/a> in Madison.<\/p>\n

UND\u2019s space studies and biology departments are providing facilities for weather instruments located at the Oakville Prairie Field Station and Observatory near Emerado. \u00a0The North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network<\/a> (NDAWN) at North Dakota State University<\/a> and NWS offices in Grand Forks and Bismarck are also involved.<\/p>\n

Currently, there are instruments at airports throughout the region called ceilometers, used to give pilots information on cloud ceilings by projecting a laser beam straight up. According to Kennedy, these instruments could also be used to provide real-time data on blowing snow or precipitation to aid in making more accurate forecasts.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be able to develop algorithms that can detect blowing snow,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cThe idea is that we\u2019ll pass this information on to NOAA \u2013 and if they think it\u2019s useful \u2013 then perhaps we can find a way to make this happen with the instruments already out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Aaron Kennedy, right, and one of his atmospheric science students prepare an instrument package for attachment to a weather balloon to be launched during a blowing snow weather event. Photo by Mike Hess\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The second research project being conducted this winter received $14,000 in funding from the North Dakota Space Grant in collaboration with Stephen Palm, a research meteorologist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.<\/p>\n

The weather balloons launched from the UND campus during blizzard conditions provide data to NASA\u2019s ICESat-2 satellite<\/a> (Ice, Cloud and land Evaluation Satellite-2) as it passes overhead. Because the balloon launches are timed with the satellite overflights, they can happen late at night or early in the morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most active student involvement has been in the balloon project,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had at least two dozen different students help out with balloon launches. One of the best parts is that it\u2019s a very hands-on activity. Putting a balloon in the atmosphere is a time-honored tradition for meteorologists.\u201d<\/p>\n

Research in action<\/h2>\n

Kennedy is hopeful that the results of both projects will translate into the operational world of NWS offices in North Dakota, helping to make accurate forecasts that keep the public safe.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince we live more in the research world, we have an idea of how this information might be incorporated into the forecast environment,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cNOAA and the National Weather Service people are really the boots on the ground. They can tell us what information they actually need.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the meantime, although the Red River Valley has experienced more spring-like temperatures recently and there\u2019s been a lull in blizzard activity, Kennedy pointed out more winter weather could lie ahead. But that\u2019s not considered a negative for UND\u2019s winter weather researchers who have a wealth of data to analyze for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n

\"\"
UND and the Grand Forks area have so far experienced eight named blizzards. The harsh winter conditions have provided researchers with a wealth of data that will be used to create more accurate models of such events for National Weather Service forecasters and other meteorologists. Photo by Mike Hess\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cA scientist who reviewed our two-year project proposal wondered what would happen if we had a mild winter without any blizzard events,\u201d Kennedy related. \u201cWe could probably have no more events for the rest of our project and be fine because this has been such a gold mine of a winter. It was like diamonds, gold and rubies all rolled into one.\u201d<\/p>\n

The winter \u201cfun\u201d is nearing an end, but there\u2019s still more work to be done.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we want to do is refine some of our measurements and instruments for the following years to demonstrate that we can produce data in real time that the National Weather Service can use and benefit from,\u201d Kennedy said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not going to rest on the laurels of the amazing data set,\u201d he added. \u201cWe\u2019ll keep pushing it while looking forward to next winter.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UND\u2019s winter-weather scientists thrive in blizzards’ snow, wind and cold<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":201,"featured_media":24394,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[1118,109,55],"class_list":["post-24464","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","tag-biology","tag-grand-challenges","tag-john-d-odegard-school-of-aerospace-sciences"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nResearch team's wish: Let it snow ... and snow ... and snow - UND Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/2022\/03\/blizzards-bring-em-on-some-at-und-say\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Research team's wish: Let it snow ... and snow ... and snow - UND Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"UND\u2019s winter-weather scientists thrive in blizzards' snow, wind and cold\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/2022\/03\/blizzards-bring-em-on-some-at-und-say\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UND Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-03-15T22:18:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-07-11T20:23:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/03\/220219-weather-balloon-5691-WEB.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"475\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Patrick C. 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Miller","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/705c74d11b07fccf7b75cae42f5046c9fa58316a4d77d848619b2a291c76fe17?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/705c74d11b07fccf7b75cae42f5046c9fa58316a4d77d848619b2a291c76fe17?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/705c74d11b07fccf7b75cae42f5046c9fa58316a4d77d848619b2a291c76fe17?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Patrick C. Miller"},"description":"is the strategic communications editor in UND's Division of Marketing & Communications. He is a graduate of South Dakota State University with a degree in journalism. He worked for the Pierre (SD) Times, the Sioux Falls (SD) Argus Leader and the Bismarck (ND) Tribune as a writer\/photographer. He was employed by Basin Electric Power Cooperative and the Lignite Energy Council in the media and public relations field before coming to the Energy & Environmental Research Center at UND in 1992. He was there 10 years before joining the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences and then University Relations. In 2019, he rejoined UND after working two years at Amazon and five years at BBI International, where he was a writer\/photographer for the company's oil and gas, alternative fuels and UAS magazines.","url":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/author\/pmiller\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24464","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/201"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24464"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24464\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36269,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24464\/revisions\/36269"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24464"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24464"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24464"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}