The GPM Ground Validation Environment Canada (EC) Radiometer GCPEx dataset contains retrievals of temperature, water vapor, relative humidity, liquid water profiles and surface parameters acquired by a passive microwave radiometer during the GPM Cold-season Precipitation Experiment (GCPEx) in Ontario, Canada, February 14, 2012 through March 1, 2012. GCPEx addressed shortcomings in the GPM snowfall retrieval algorithm by collecting microphysical properties, associated remote sensing observations, and coordinated model simulations of precipitating snow.

The GPM Ground Validation Environment Canada (EC) Radiosonde GCPEx dataset provides measurements of pressure, temperature, humidity, and winds collected by Vaisala RS92 Radiosondes during the GPM Cold-season Precipitation Experiment (GCPEx) at the CARE site in Ontario, Canada, January 17, 2012 through February 29, 2012. GCPEx addressed shortcomings in the GPM snowfall retrieval algorithm by collecting microphysical properties, associated remote sensing observations, and coordinated model simulations of precipitating snow. These data sets were collected to aid in the achievement of the over arching goal of GCPEx which is to characterize the ability of multi-frequency active and passive microwave sensors to detect and estimate falling snow.

The GPM Ground Validation Environment Canada (EC) Manual Precipitation Measurements GCPEx dataset was collected during the GPM Cold-season Precipitation Experiment (GCPEx) in Ontario, Canada with data collections from January 18 - March 28, 2012. GCPEx addressed shortcomings in the GPM snowfall retrieval algorithm by collecting microphysical properties, associated remote sensing observations, and coordinated model simulations of precipitating snow. Precipitation amount, weight, snow water equivalent and present weather condition were recorded using a Tretyakov gauge inside a double fence intercomparison reference (DFIR) shield.

The GPM Ground Validation Environment Canada (EC) Micro Rain Radar (MRR) GCPEx V2 dataset was collected from the Micro Rain Radar (MRR) during the GPM Cold-season Precipitation Experiment (GCPEx) in Ontario, Canada during the winter season 2012. GCPEx addressed shortcomings in the GPM snowfall retrieval algorithm by collecting microphysical properties, associated remote sensing observations, and coordinated model simulations of precipitating snow. Operating at 24 GHz the MRR, a vertically pointing Doppler radar, retrieved quantitative rain rates, drop size distributions, radar reflectivity, and fall velocities on vertical profiles up to several kilometers above the unit. The MRR used during GCPEX is the second generation of the instrument manufactured by METEK (URL: http://metek.de/product/mrr-2/). Version 2 of this dataset became active on April 30, 2015.

The GPM Ground Validation Environment Canada (EC) Weather Station XET C3VP dataset consists of surface meteorological data collected at the Environment Canada (EC) XET station at the Centre for Atmospheric Research Experiments (CARE) during the Canadian CloudSat/CALIPSO Validation Project (C3VP) field campaign. The campaign took place in southern Canada in support of multiple science missions, including the NASA GPM mission, in order to improve the modeling and remote sensing of winter precipitation. The XET C3VP dataset file includes temperature, pressure, wind speed and direction, relative humidity, solar radiation, grass temperature, soil temperature, snow depth, sunshine, and precipitation measurements from October 4, 2006 through March 31, 2007 in ASCII-csv format.

The GPM Ground Validation Environment Canada Snow Surveys GCPEx dataset was manually collected during the GPM Cold-season Precipitation Experiment (GCPEx), which occurred in Ontario, Canada, January 20, 2012 through February 27, 2012 across four sites (CARE, Steamshow, Huronia Airport, and Skydive-Jump). GCPEx addressed shortcomings in the GPM snowfall retrieval algorithm by collecting microphysical properties, associated remote sensing observations, and coordinated model simulations of precipitating snow. Snow depth, water equivalent and density transects were surveyed weekly at each of the GCPEx sites in order to provide baseline information on the distribution of snow on the ground. Pairs of bulk density and snow water equivalent measurements were made every 25 m along the same transect using an ESC-30 (30 cm2 cross sectional area) snow corer. Snow depth measurements were made every 50 cm along a 100 m transect using a GPS equipped snow depth probe.

The GPM Ground Validation Environment Canada (EC) Precipitation Occurrence Sensor System (POSS) GCPEx dataset is comprised of data gathered during the GPM Cold-season Precipitation Experiment (GCPEx), which took place in Ontario, Canada, January 15 - March 1, 2012. GCPEx addressed shortcomings in the GPM snowfall retrieval algorithm by collecting microphysical properties, associated remote sensing observations, and coordinated model simulations of precipitating snow. The POSS is a bi-static X-band Doppler radar designed by Environment Canada. The POSS measures a signal whose frequency is proportional to the particle Doppler velocity and whose amplitude is proportional to the particle scattering cross-section. Its measurements can be used to provide information regarding precipitation occurrence, type, rate, and raindrop size distribution.

The GPM Ground Validation Meteorological Tower Environment Canada GCPEx dataset provides temperature, relative humidity, 10 m winds, pressure and solar radiation data collected by a suite of standard meteorological instruments attached to a 10 m met tower. The GPM Cold-season Precipitation Experiment (GCPEx) addressed shortcomings in the GPM snowfall retrieval algorithm by collecting microphysical properties, associated remote sensing observations, and coordinated model simulations of precipitating snow. Data was gathered over the Ontario region of Canada in 2012 from January 15th through March 1st. Browse images are available online. The observation station was assembled by Automated Transportable Meteorological Observation Station (ATMOS).