Cold and transition season cloud condensation nuclei measurements in western Colorado

Aerosol measurements in Mesa Verde National Park, western Colorado, reveal that while total particle concentrations show a positive correlation with mid-tropospheric atmospheric pressure to the west, cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations do not exhibit similar statistical relationships. The study, conducted during the Inhibition of Snowfall by Pollution Aerosols (ISPA-III) field campaign in 2009, combined ground-based sampling and airborne measurements to characterize aerosols in a rural continental environment. Findings suggest that sampled aerosols had low hygroscopicity with minimal variation over time or space along the Western Slope, indicating limited impact from large-scale wind direction on CCN properties.

Ward, D. S., & Cotton, W. R. (2011). Cold and transition season cloud condensation nuclei measurements in western Colorado. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 11(9), 4303–4317. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-11-4303-2011