Engineering challenges associated with installing surface-based weather instrumentation in remote, mountainous terrain

Climate change can have a significant impact on winter precipitation processes, particularly in mountainous regions. Changes to the snowpack and runoff can have serious consequences to the communities downstream that rely on them for their water supply. Climate models are being used to simulate the effects of climate change on the snowpack and runoff over the Rocky Mountain region in western Colorado, but verification of those models is required before results can be trusted. In order to verify the models, accurate surface measurements of temperature, wind speed and direction, pressure, solar radiation and liquid equivalent precipitation must be taken at various points within the model domain. This research project focused on the construction of three instrumentation setups using ETI precipitation gauges (referred to as ETI19, ETI20, and ETI21). The setup included mechanical and electrical engineering tasks as well as programming required for each instrument component.  Each setup was tested at NCAR and will ultimately be moved to the Fraser Experimental Forest where they will be used to help with the model verification. A detailed description of the setup will be provided along with a discussion of the engineering challenges faced to prepare each gauge for eventual installation in mountainous terrain.