SNOWSCAPE Dashboard

Code for producing the SNOWSCAPE dashboard. The dashboard assembles webcam images, WSR-88D (NEXRAD) radar products, and instrument data into a single composite figure that is regenerated at 15-min intervals during field operations.

The dashboard was developed in support of the SNOWSCAPE field campaign in northern Utah.

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Sites

Code	Name	Elevation (m MSL)	Instruments
SNI	Snowbasin	2256	MRR Pro, CL61 ceilometer, Lufft gauge, MWR
UHNTC	Huntsville	1529	MRR-2, CL31 ceilometer, Lufft gauge
UUSYR	Syracuse	1285	MRR-2, CL31 ceilometer, Lufft gauge, MWR

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Repository contents

├── instrument_functions/       # Instrument data loading libraries
│   ├── Ceilometer_Functions.py
│   ├── Lufft_Functions.py
│   ├── MRR_functions.py
│   ├── MRRPro_Functions.py
│   └── MWR_Functions.py
├── data/                       # Pre-computed terrain profiles for radar cross sections
│   ├── BLP_distance_along_azimuth.npy
│   ├── BLP_elevation_along_azimuth.npy
│   ├── SNI_distance_along_azimuth.npy
│   └── SNI_elevation_along_azimuth.npy
├── Produce_Instrument_Plots_v2.py
├── Produce_Snowscape_Dashboard_v2.py
├── Reflectivity_Script.py
├── Get_Snowbasin_Webcam.py
├── Snowscape_Dashboard_Functions.py
└── map_script_2.py

instrument_functions/

File	Description
Ceilometer_Functions.py	Loads CL61 (SNI) and CL31 (UHNTC, UUSYR) ceilometer NetCDF files
Lufft_Functions.py	Retrieves Lufft precipitation sensor data from the Synoptic Data API
MRR_functions.py	Loads processed MRR-2 NetCDF files for Huntsville and Syracuse
MRRPro_Functions.py	Loads processed MRR Pro NetCDF files for Snowbasin
MWR_Functions.py	Parses Radiometrics LV2 CSV files from the microwave radiometer

data/

Pre-computed terrain elevation profiles along each KMTX radar azimuth, used by Reflectivity_Script.py to overlay terrain on range-height cross sections.

Root-level scripts

File	Description
Produce_Instrument_Plots_v2.py	Generates a 6-panel time-height figure for one site (MRR Ze, velocity, spectral width; ceilometer backscatter; MWR liquid density; Lufft precip)
Reflectivity_Script.py	Downloads the most recent KMTX scan from AWS and produces a composite reflectivity map and range-height cross sections toward Snowbasin and Ben Lomond Peak
Produce_Snowscape_Dashboard_v2.py	Assembles all products into the final dashboard composite figure
Get_Snowbasin_Webcam.py	Downloads the latest Snowbasin Wildcat webcam image from Ski Utah
Snowscape_Dashboard_Functions.py	Helper functions for Produce_Snowscape_Dashboard_v2.py: loads camera images, radar product images, and per-site instrument plots
map_script_2.py	Loads the topography grid and Utah lake outlines used by Reflectivity_Script.py

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Dependencies

Install the required Python packages (a conda environment is recommended):

numpy
xarray
pandas
matplotlib
cartopy
pyart-mpl         # Py-ART (conda-forge: arm-pyart)
requests
boto              # legacy boto library for NEXRAD AWS access
shapely
geopandas

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Data and output directories

Each script contains a clearly marked section at the top with path variables:

Script	Variable(s) to set
instrument_functions/MRR_functions.py	base_path
instrument_functions/MRRPro_Functions.py	base_path, site_name
Produce_Instrument_Plots_v2.py	IMAGE_DIR, instrument data directories
Reflectivity_Script.py	FigDir
Get_Snowbasin_Webcam.py	save_path
Snowscape_Dashboard_Functions.py	DashboardDir, horel_camera_images, Individual_Site_Plots
Produce_Snowscape_Dashboard_v2.py	DashboardDir, Basin_Cam, Individual_Site_Plots, logo_path

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Usage

Generate instrument plots for one site

python Produce_Instrument_Plots_v2.py --site SNI
python Produce_Instrument_Plots_v2.py --site UUSYR
python Produce_Instrument_Plots_v2.py --site UHNTC

Generate NEXRAD radar products

python Reflectivity_Script.py

Fetch the Snowbasin webcam image

python Get_Snowbasin_Webcam.py

Assemble the full dashboard

python Produce_Snowscape_Dashboard_v2.py

These scripts are run on a cron schedule every 15 minutes during the field campaign.

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Authors

Michael Wasserstein — University of Utah, Department of Atmospheric Sciences