Technical contributions of Mr. Dale Sirmans to Doppler weather radar development

Dale Sirmans has been involved in the development of modern Doppler weather radar since the 1960's. While at the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), he made key contributions to the understanding of Doppler weather radar theory, particularly in the field of statistics and moment estimation. He was the lead engineer for the team that built one of the first practical 10 cm radar systems for investigating the use of Doppler measurements for severe weather detection. He made significant contributions to the development of requirements for NEXRAD and for the past 16 years has continued to support the Nation's network of radars by documenting performance, solving unusual technical problems, and mentoring a new generation of engineers and scientists.

This paper will discuss some of Mr. Sirmans significant accomplishments by reviewing many of his technical reports and papers, including works produced at the NSSL along with his more recent achievements while at the Radar Operations Center.