Product development and evaluation for the dual-pol WSR-88D radar

The United States' WSR-88D weather radar network is expected to be upgraded to include dual-polarimetric capabilities over the next several years. This upgrade is presumed to improve echo classification, precipitation rate estimation, and overall data quality. Numerous dual-pol WSR-88D data sets from a prototype radar in Norman, Oklahoma have been collected.

Seven sample dual-pol WSR-88D datasets were distributed to operational users of WSR-88D radar data throughout the United States. These cases were chosen to cover a variety of high-impact weather events, including significant winter storms, severe thunderstorms, mixed precipitation phases, and heavy rainfall. Low-to-moderate-impact weather events were also chosen, including light to moderate rain and light snow events. Finally, the data were chosen to include meteorological echoes at various ranges from the radar as well as non-meteorological echoes. The evaluators were asked to provide feedback on the sample dual-pol base products (differential reflectivity, correlation coefficient, differential phase shift, and specific differential phase shift) and associated algorithms (hydrometeor classification, filtered reflectivity, and quantitative precipitation estimation). The results of the collected feedback are discussed in this paper, along with implications for operational forecasting, warning decision-making, product visualization, and training requirements.