National Mosaic and Multi-sensor QPE (NMQ) reanalysis in the southeastern United States

Using a two-stage software suite developed at the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) in Norman, OK, we perform a reanalysis of NEXRAD data over a testbed in the southeastern United States. Reanalysis of approximately 15 years of radar data provides the basis for a climatological data set that can not only be utilized in various fields, but also provide feedback to NSSL regarding the quality of precipitation products. While 15 years is a relatively short time span for climatological products, such a reanalysis is limited by the presently short lifespan of NEXRAD data.

This project has required extensive collaboration between NOAA agencies as well as academia. Scientific and financial support have been provided by NOAA's Climate Data Record program, the Cooperative Institute for Climate and Satellites (CICS), and North Carolina State University. NEXRAD data is maintained and distributed by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) in Asheville, NC, and processed using software developed by NSSL. Two suites of software combine to process Level II NEXRAD data into a gridded precipitation product providing three-dimensional radar products, as well as quantitative precipitation estimates at 1-km resolution with a five-minute time scale. Processing is performed by computing clusters at the Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI) in Chapel Hill, NC.

The project has focused on a testbed located in the southeastern United States, centered over North and South Carolina. A sampling of nine NEXRAD sites has been used to create a gridded precipitation product over the period of record (12-15 years). Preliminary estimates suggest that these products could be expanded to a CONUS-wide reanalysis within 1-3 years. The availability of a gridded product such as this will facilitate both research and operations across a wide spectrum of purposes impacting commerce, transportation, and public safety. >