Insights into planetary boundary layer height estimation from the Southern Ontario LIDar (SOLID) Mesonet

Planetary boundary layer height (PBLh), despite being key to atmospheric modelling parametrizations, remains difficult to consistently define, model, and observe. The Southern Ontario Lidar (SOLID) Mesonet, established by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in and around Toronto beginning in 2022, provides an opportunity for high spatial and temporal resolution estimates of the PBLh in diverse atmospheric conditions. We present a Doppler lidar-derived PBLh data product using SOLID Mesonet observations, assessed in comparison to PBLh estimates from ECCC’s Global Environmental Multiscale (GEM) model, ERA5, and nearby radiosonde flights in Buffalo, NY. These comparisons highlight the uncertainties between various methods for PBLh estimation, particularly in stable atmospheric conditions such as overnight and in winter months, and give key insights into the accuracy of PBLh estimates for usage in atmospheric modelling as well as avenues for improvements.