What does the bright band tell us about the Z-R relationship?

It is well-known that spatial and temporal variability of the Drop Size Distribution (DSD) is a factor limiting the quality of radar rainfall estimates, mainly because of its impact on the Z-R relationship. This variability has been characterized in some previous studies, which showed how physical processes in snow (aggregation, riming, ...) result in characteristic DSDs. Other works have analyzed the impact of these processes on the characteristics of the bright band. Relating measurements of bright band intensity in stratiform reflectivity profiles observed with a UHF wind profiler (λ=30 cm) to DSD measurements of a collocated POSS (both located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada), a significant correlation has been found between the characteristics of the bright band and the Z-R relationship. The same relationship has also been found using measurements of the McGill S-band radar (λ=10 cm). This correlation suggests a possible implementation to improve radar rainfall estimates.