NOAAs NEXRAD Reanalysis - Use Case and Applications

NOAA’s NEXRAD reanalysis is a multi-year reprocessing effort based on NOAA/NCEI’s archive of the WSR-88D level II data. Currently 11-years of the WSR-88D level II data have been reprocessed using the latest algorithms for severe weather and precipitation estimation. This presentation provides an overview of the quality assurance and control measures implemented at NCEI. In addition, we provide an overview of several applications of the data; A hydrologic modeling effort from the USGS, a long-term study of precipitation over the United States, and a Big Data application of the reanalysis data set. Finally, we assess the precipitation variables included in the reanalysis data set and their fitness for use in applied climatology. We also present our plans to develop a homogeneous reanalysis for the entire WSR-88D period of record (approximately 20 years).