How Not to Measure a Cloud: Lessons from Fifteen Years of Fieldwork Failures

In situ cloud measurements are essential for understanding atmospheric processes and establishing a reliable ground truth. Obtaining these data is rarely straightforward. Challenges range from accessing clouds in the first place to ensuring that the instrument or environment does not bias the sample. This contribution explores several blunders and unexpected glitches encountered over fifteen years of field campaigns.

I will share stories of mountain top observations where blowing snow was measured instead of cloud ice crystals and the ambitious but failed attempt to use motorized paragliders for sampling. I also reflect on winter campaigns where the primary obstacles were flooding and mud rather than cold and snow. While these experiences were often frustrating, they frequently yielded useful data or led to new insights. One such example is the realization that drone icing is not just a crash risk but can also serve as a method for measuring liquid water content. By highlighting these setbacks and the successful data that emerged despite them, I aim to foster a discussion on the value of trial and error and persistence in atmospheric physics.