ASR/ARM MC3E leadership in the field. From left to right, Scott Giangrande, Mike Jensen, Pavlos Kollias, and Nitin Bharwadaj.Today, Monday June 6, is the final day of operations for MC3E. The radiosonde launches at 6:30 PM local time will mark the official end of the field operations phase of the experiment. The final evaluation of…

MC3E grillmasters Pavlos Kollias and Scott GiangrandeOn a typical day of MC3E operations, researchers in north-central Oklahoma are spread throughout several different sites and schedules depending on their role in the program. Many of us head out to the SGP Central Facility near Lamont, Oklahoma, for radar and aircraft operations, troubleshooting on different instruments or…

It’s waiting time in Andrea’s office. Paloma Borque (McGill University), Jonathan Sepulveda, and Andrea Neumann (University of North Dakota). Picture courtesy of Tony Grainger.Having the opportunity to fly in a jet is not something that happens every day; neither is sharing that experience with an amazing group of people. The UND Cessna Citation II Research…

During the MC3E field campaign, the scientists have at their disposal many different instruments to study clouds and precipitation. But what happens if the clouds are too thin or not present at all? The ARM facilities also have at their disposal an array of instruments that can bridge this gap. They are called radiometers. Radiometers…

The final weeks of the MC3E campaign usher in a new set of scientists to direct cloud and precipitation missions over Oklahoma into early June. As he has done for the entire campaign, Jan Nystrom (Aircraft Coordination Experts) remains on the airwaves and directing the two MC3E campaign aircraft—The University of North Dakota Citation II…

As a recent graduate from Florida State University’s Meteorology program, with no real experience in the field, signing on to the MC3E campaign hit me as a no-brainer! Upon arriving for what will be my month-long stay here in Chanute, Kansas, I was greeted by rolling plains, friendly residents, and clear skies, at the time.…

Preparing to launch a radiosonde from the SGP Central Facility On Monday morning, May 23, the 1000th weather balloon in support of MC3E was launched with little fanfare despite the impressive milestone it represents. A major portion of the support for MC3E is for the launching of weather balloons from six different sites within Oklahoma…

At the Ponca City YMCA on Sunday, two teams met in a quest for glory, fame, and a rhinestone-bedecked garden gnome. The NASA team, led by Steve “Lightning” Rutledge, took on the DOE team captained by Pavlos “PK” Kollias. The teams, whose names were inspired by the two main collaborating institutions of the MC3E campaign,…

Long before the MC3E scientists arrived in Ponca City and descended upon the SGP Central Facility (CF), there was a great deal of talk about the “dream scenario.” The golden case of all golden cases was described as a well defined line of convective storms with a large stratiform rain region that propagated directly over…

When my adviser, Ed Zipser, suggested that I spend at least two weeks in Oklahoma forecasting for MC3E, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I have participated in several field programs, but never in the role of forecaster. I lived in Oklahoma for four years while I completed my bachelor’s degree at OU, but…