BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences awarded $400,000 to the University of North Dakota (UND).

The grant will support a university project to:

  • study the microphysical structure of blowing snow layers and how terrain, the atmosphere, and sublimation impact winter storm events;
  • develop affordable, ground-based, and balloon-borne microphysical imagers;
  • and promote public outreach and information dissemination to state tribal colleges and the National Weather Service, among other groups.  

Outcomes and observations will help improve models for determining blowing snow behavior. Graduate and undergraduate students will have the opportunity to engage through field work, data analysis, and coordination with other academic institutions to deploy hydrometeor imagers.