From June 1 through July 15, researchers from across North America will fan out each evening across the Great Plains, where storms are more common at night than during the day.
The effort, co-organized by numerous collaborating institutions, will use lab-equipped aircraft, ground-based instruments, and weather balloons to better understand the atmospheric conditions that lead to storm formation and evolution after sunset.
What the scientists find may ultimately help improve forecasts of these sometimes damaging storms.
The Plains Elevated Convection at Night (PECAN) field campaign will involve scientists, students and support staff from eight research laboratories and 14 universities.
The $13.5 million project is largely funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), which contributed $10.6 million. Additional support is provided by NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Department of Energy.
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