In order to better predict the weather, we first need to better observe it. Increasing atmospheric observing capabilities, particularly in the planetary boundary layer, have been a cornerstone of VORTEX-USA. For the last decade, the program has supported the design and implementation of several observing platforms. These include stationary sites like flux towers and vertically pointing S-band radars, deployable units like lightning mapping arrays and portable disdrometers, and mobile platforms containing Doppler lidars and windsond units and weather-sensing UAS (“Coptersondes”). Key findings from analysis of these observations include relationships between lightning and cloud-top characteristics as well as high-resolution boundary-layer variability in the presence of complex terrain features. Other studies showed how data from flux sites and vertically pointing S-bands could be useful for real-time forecasting, and how dense low-level observations can help verify how forecast models depict the boundary layer. These techniques pave the way towards continued platform development, higher-resolution observational analyses, and more accurate depictions of the atmosphere to improve weather prediction.
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