The CSU-CHILL National Facility

Colorado State University, Fort Collins CO

Investigators

Abstract

The Colorado State University (CSU) proposes to continue operating the research weather radar known as CHILL as part of the national Lower Atmosphere Observing Facility (LAOF) suite. CSU-CHILL is a state-of-the-art dual-frequency (S- and X-band), dual-polarization radar located in Greeley, Colorado that provides radar data in support of NSF-funded scientific research. During the next performance period (2015-2017), CSU will deploy the CHILL radar in support of research projects deemed to be of exceptional merit by the peer review process. CSU-CHILL staff will maintain and operate the radar to facilitate cutting-edge research in the areas of atmospheric dynamics and cloud physics. CSU-CHILL fulfills an important role in the suite of NSF-supported lower atmosphere observing facilities by providing a dual-frequency radar system capable of obtaining high-quality data with which to study important questions about severe weather. Users of CSU-CHILL have conducted research into topics such as winter storm development, storm electrification, and in-cloud microphysical processes, including the development of methods to identify the size and type of precipitation based on various radar parameters. Future deployments include a project to compare radar observations to surface-based, 3-D camera images of winter precipitation to validate algorithms for hydrometeor identification, and participation in the flight testing of the new storm penetration research aircraft. CSU-CHILL staff will continue to run a very competitive Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program for the next two summers. Student participants in the REU program complete hands-on research projects centered on the operation and calibration of an advanced weather radar. CHILL is also known for its Virtual CHILL (VCHILL) software, which allows access to archived CHILL data for classroom and/or research use, and also facilitates remote operation of the radar by university classes studying meteorology. CSU-CHILL staff will complete the incorporation of a solid-state S-band transmitter into the radar system. This development is expected to bring significant benefit to other S-band radars, including those operated by the National Weather Service, through reduced cost and improved reliability.