Precipitation, either as rain- or snowfall, forms an integral part of the Arctic climate system. Seasonal snowpacks, glacier surfaces, human activities, vegetation growth, and animal grazing are all significantly affected by the phase, magnitude, and seasonality of precipitation. Yet both the present and future states of Arctic precipitation are poorly known, mainly because of the sparsity of observations over this remote region. Yet many satellite observations contain indirect information about the 'footprints' of precipitation on Arctic terrain. Here, we propose to constrain the present uncertainty on Arctic precipitation using a wide array of direct and novel indirect data from satellites and weather radars (over Fennoscandia). The results will be of use in evaluating the present state of Arctic precipitation in both occurrence and magnitude of rainfall, snowfall, and rain-on-snow events, and their portrayal in atmospheric and climate modeling.

2021

2025