Global Snowfall as Revealed by High Resolution Satellite Precipitation Products

The Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) product and the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) product are two global precipitation datasets that also provide a diagnostic estimate of the probability of precipitation phase, thus enabling a quantification of snowfall rates. With recent improvements to the latest versions of the two algorithms, IMERG V07B and GPCP V3.2 represent a unique opportunity to study the global snowfall rates at an unprecedented resolution.

This presentation examines the distribution of snowfall in IMERG V07B and GPCP V3.2 both globally and regionally. By leveraging IMERG’s high resolution and GPCP’s consistent record, we investigate the climatology not just from a snowfall volume point of view but also from peak snowfall intensity and snow event duration perspectives that only high-resolution data can provide. To assess the reliability of the results, we compare the IMERG and GPCP snowfall against global observations from CloudSat. For example, the comparison revealed deficiencies in passive microwave retrievals of snowfall rates in IMERG over Greenland and Antarctica. Furthermore, we leverage IMERG’s half-hourly resolution to demonstrate its unprecedented potential in tracking snowfall events around the globe.

With the latest advances in the algorithms, IMERG V07 and GPCP V3.2 represent a unique opportunity to study snowfall globally using a combination of fine resolution, complete global coverage, and long record.