Incorporation of a 3D Mosaicked Hydrometeor Classification Algorithm into the Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor System

With the upgrade of dual-polarization capabilities for the NEXRAD WSR-88D network, distinguishing between different hydrometeors types is now feasible. Hydrometeor characteristics, such as phase, type, and size are important for the detection of a number of potential hazards in the aviation sector including aircraft icing, hail cores, and hydrometeor phase delineation. In this work, the operational WSR-88D hydrometeor classification algorithm (HCA) is incorporated into the Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) system. Specifically, we compute the hydrometeor classification for 33 vertical levels, many of which are in close proximity to aviation flight levels, within the MRMS domain using MRMS polarimetric mosaics and RAP/HRRR model output. Based on the combination of all polarimetric variables, the most likely hydrometeor class is identified. There are 10 different classes, but this number can be reduced by grouping like classes to streamline decision support for the aviation sector. This presentation will provide an overview on the HCA and how it’s implemented into the MRMS system along with case-study analyses to show the utility of this product.