Defense Presentation Title: Observed Mesoscale Surface Air Pressure Waves and In-Cloud Characteristics in the Context of Winter Storm Structures

Advisor: Dr. Sandra Yuter, faculty fellow and distinguished professor in the Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

Abstract: Recent observations of winter storms from ground-based and aircraft-mounted instrumentation allow us to refine our understanding of physical mechanisms responsible for snow particle formation and growth. Case studies have associated air pressure waves with heavier snowfall, but these findings have not been examined across many winter storms. To remedy that gap, we analyzed 40 months of pressure wave events observed by networks of high-precision surface pressure sensors. We also use aircraft-based measurements of in-cloud air motions from 42 research flights to assess the idea that upward lofting of snowflakes is widespread in winter storms. Our findings suggest that these often-cited concepts are not commonly relevant in winter storms in the Northeast US and southern Canada.