Precipitation prediction is a difficult science, made more complicated by the varied composition of clouds, which affect their propensity to drop rain, ice or snow. But Axisa and his team had an advantage: a specialized, SBIR-funded instrument that can accurately measure not only the size of particles within a cloud but their shapes (important for discriminating between water and ice), as well as water content and atmospheric pressure and temperature.

- SBIR contract: N00014-97-C-0295; Agency: Navy; Topic: N96-150