| To estimate the visibility during snowfall, we compare hourly visibility (Vis) measurements with radar reflectivity factor ( Z) measurements sampled over Edmonton International Airport during snowfall events from October 2010 to April 2011. The (Z, Vis) scatter diagrams showed that increasing Z was correlated with decreasing Vis. For a given Z observation, we found the probability distribution of Vis. The interquartile range with Z ≥ 20 dBZ was smaller than the IQR with Z < 20 dBZ.;The scatter was not significantly affected by the temperature profile or the wet bulb potential temperature. Strong wind speed (≥15 knots) along with high reflectivity was associated low Vis (< 2 sm). Radar reflectivity data has valuable information for visibility, yet is not a substitute for human observations. |
